The Propulsion in the Parting
by LJLanham
Summary: My vision of "where do we go from here."  A tag scene for "The Daredevil in the Mold" which is turning into a multichapter story of its own. Spoilers for "Daredevil" but everything else is speculation from my spoiler-free mind. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

_**AN - I've been debating all week about whether or not I wanted to do a "tag" story to follow "The Daredevil in the Mold." This finally hit me tonight, and decided it was time to come out. What started out as a one-shot became a multi-chapter in my mind… so here it is, chapter one.**_

_**I don't usually bother with disclaimers, because we all know I don't own anything related to "BONES," but since a big chunk of dialogue in this chapter came from the episode, I felt it was only right to remind you that part isn't mine. ;-)**_

_**Please read and review… I hope you'll be interested in my continuing and that your words will spur the muse to keep going. **_

The Propulsion in the Parting

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"Those are my only choices?"

"Yeah. Those are your only choices."

"Then I'll have a drink," she answered resolutely, bringing the shot glass to her lips.

And it was this way that they sat for the next two hours until the bartender called "Last Call."

They sat silently side-by-side; partners, friends, would-be lovers, soul-mates.

Brennan hoped that Booth hadn't noticed she wasn't keeping pace with him. She knew one of them had to be clearheaded enough to get him home, and that wasn't going to be Booth… not on this night.

She dropped some bills on the bar and turned to her partner.

"Come on, Booth," she said. "It's time to go home."

She knew that Hannah had already cleared out, and though going home would be painful for Booth, at least he wouldn't have to worry about running into his now ex-girlfriend. Brennan watched as Booth stood, or more rather leaned on the bar, to follow her. His anger seemed to have dissipated, at least for the time being. She was surprised and slightly concerned at how easily he acquiesced… but she didn't question it out loud. She would think and ponder and question when she was alone in her own apartment, but for now her only goal was to get Booth safely to his.

"Your cab's here, Dr. Brennan," the bartender said, nodding toward the door.

"Thanks, Ben," she replied.

"Need any help?" the man asked.

"No," she answered, "I think we'll be all right."

"Let's go," she said, turning her attention back to her partner.

Still, Booth said nothing as he let her lead him to the front door and out into the waiting cab.

She gave the driver his address and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against the seat. Booth was staring out the window watching the scenery go by, and she was afraid to consider what thoughts might be going through his mind.

They were both pulled from their respective reveries when the cab pulled up in front of the liquor store. Brennan handed the driver a twenty and asked him to wait.

"Sure thing, lady," he said. "Meter's running."

She climbed out of the cab and went around to the other side to extricate her partner. The short ride seemed to have sobered him a little and his coordination was much better than when they'd left the bar. He still had to lean on her, but she had little trouble getting him in to the building.

"You're going to have to help me get you up the stairs, Booth," she said. "I can't do it on my own."

He nodded and took more of the burden of his own weight. He managed the stairs fairly well on his own, knowing she was there if he had to reach out to her. They arrived at his door with only a few stumbles between them.

"Booth," she said, "I need the key."

"Use yours," he mumbled.

The silence in the moment was deafening.

"You don't have it," he said.

"No," she answered. There was so much more to say about why she felt uncomfortable carrying the key to his apartment while he lived with another woman… but now was not the time to have such a conversation, so she let the words die on her lips.

"In my jacket pocket," he said. "Left side"

She reached around from behind, supporting his weight on her shoulders as she leaned in to unlock the door. Once inside, she led him to the sofa and made her way to the bedroom. She set about changing the sheets, and began to wonder if he'd be angry with her for it in the morning. Maybe he'd want to be close to Hannah somehow… but deep inside she knew that wasn't what he needed. She made the bed and turned down the covers and then stepped into the bathroom.

She went out to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. She grabbed a bottle of Gatorade from the refrigerator and took both back to the bedroom. She set them on his nightstand along with two aspirin. She helped him get undressed and into bed. He lay down and turned his back to her.

Quietly, she turned and made her way out of his room, down the hall and out of his apartment.

When he heard the door shut behind her, he finally allowed himself the tears he'd been holding back since he'd heard Hannah utter those words.

"I thought we'd have more time…"

Bitch.

She knew what he wanted, and she knew they would get to this place. Why had she let it get this far?

He knew he was being unkind, unfair… and he didn't care. She was right, she had told him in so many ways, but he'd refused to listen. He had wanted so badly to get over Bones that he tried to make Hannah, and their relationship into something that they weren't.

His heart was broken into a million pieces and all he wanted to do was cry… like a little baby. Seeley Booth, big bad Ranger… FBI guy… was gonna cry himself to sleep over a woman.

No, not over a woman… over the fact that he would never have the life he'd always dreamed of. No woman could ever love him enough to give him "forever." Maybe this was his penance for all the rotten things he'd done in his life.

He reached over and grabbed her pillow. It didn't smell like her… Bones had changed the sheets.

God, why did she have to think of everything? Why did she have to be so damned perfect?

He buried his face in the pillow and sobbed until he fell asleep.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Brennan arrived at her apartment, locked the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes. She was so confused over what had taken place tonight.

At first she'd been angry with Hannah. She'd broken her promise. Brennan had told her that Booth was going to give her his whole heart, and she promised she wouldn't break it. She should have known that she couldn't trust anyone else with Booth's heart. No one knew him like she did, and she was beginning to realize that no one ever would.

She went to her room and stripped out of her clothes as she ran herself a bath. She ran the water as hot as she could stand it and poured in some of the foaming liquid that sat on the side of the tub.

She sank down into the tub and thought about what had transpired that evening.

She thought about the phone call from Hannah and how the woman had sounded so broken up when she told her that Booth needed her. Quite frankly, she couldn't remember much of the conversation… as soon as Hannah had told her what had happened between her and Booth, the only thing on Brennan's mind was her partner.

She vaguely remembered hearing the other woman when she told her that she was clearing out of Booth's apartment and would be gone within the hour…

She vaguely remembered the pang of disgust that rumbled in the pit of her stomach when Hannah laughed off her "vagabond life…"

She vaguely remembered getting in a cab and heading straight to the Founding Fathers, hoping against hope that she still knew her partner as well as she thought she did.

Her memory was vivid from this point.

She remembered the strong sense of relief from seeing him sitting at the end of the bar.

She remembered physically holding herself back from reaching out to him.

She remembered the pain that she felt but couldn't explain when they held their brief conversation.

She remembered the words that he'd said…

"_So, what happens next?" she asked, hopeful._

"_What happens next?" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He scoffed. "What… I mean, you like evidence, right Bones? Well here's the evidence. The evidence is that there's something wrong here. I fell in love with a woman…. I had a kid. She doesn't want to marry me. Well… And then… the next woman, well she's…"_

"_Me…"_

"_Yeah. And now… I mean… what is it with women who just don't want what I'm offering here?"_

"_Booth…"_

"_No. No, just…you know what? Drink. Drink. I just… really… I'm just mad. I'm just really mad at all of you. All right… I'm just mad. Okay, so you wanna know how this is gonna work? Okay, this is how it's gonna work. Me and you are partners. That's what we do. We're partners. And I love that. I think that's great. And uh, we're good people who catch bad people, right? Yeah… and, and we argue… we're partners we go back and forth… and sometimes after we solve a case, we come here and we celebrate. That's what we do. We celebrate. So as far as I can see, that is what happens next. Are you okay with that?"_

_She wasn't okay with it. She wanted so much more. She wanted him to say that this was their chance. They had another chance to have their moment. But even she, with her lousy track record with relationships, and her social ineptitude, even she knew that now wasn't the time for that. So she didn't speak, her heart felt like it was being crushed inside her chest, but she'd sat there quietly and let him continue._

"'_Cause if you are, I tell you what… you stay here and have a drink with me. All right, maybe we have a little small talk, chit-chat… If you're not, well… you can leave. There's the door. And tomorrow I'll find you a new FBI guy."_

"_Those are my only choices?"_

"_Yeah. Those are your only choices."_

"_Then I'll have a drink."_

Now, laying here in her bathtub, up to her nose in the rose scented bubble bath that Angela brought her back from Paris, Temperance Brennan realized what she had to do. It was up to her to prove to Booth that he had always been right… that there was a reason for everything… that they were meant to be right where they were at this moment… and that he was most definitely worthy of love.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN- Don't expect daily updates… but I will update as often as I can. I want to stay ahead of the show, LOL. Thanks for all the alerts, favorites and comments…. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reviews, please keep them coming!**_

Chapter 2

The mid-morning sun streamed through window, washing over the bed's lone occupant. Booth opened his eyes and groaned, raising his arm to shield himself from the light. His whole body hurt, he had cottonmouth and a raging headache.

He vaguely remembered his partner putting him to bed, so he knew that everything he needed to feel human again… or at least to get out of bed… would be within arm's reach.

Slowly, he uncovered his eyes and glanced toward the bedside table. He couldn't help but smile as he reached for the aspirin and washed them down with the glass of water. The worst part of being this hung-over was the dehydration, and so he was glad she'd remembered to leave him a bottle of Gatorade. He downed the greenish liquid in a few gulps and forced himself to get out of bed.

He had to face the day.

He had to face his life.

One good thing was that it was Saturday and he didn't have Parker this weekend. Not that he'd ever be glad not to have Parker, but he was thankful that his son wouldn't have to see him in this condition. He dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom.

He almost didn't recognize the man he saw in the mirror. His eyes were dull, red and swollen, and they were accented by dark circles. He rubbed his face with his hands, covering his eyes and feeling a day's growth of beard. Turning around, he reached in and turned on the shower. He set the temperature so the water would run hot, he wanted it as hot as he could stand. As steam began to fill the room, he stripped down, climbed into the shower and under the spray.

He stood under the steaming hot water and tried desperately not to think. There would be plenty of time for that later… Right now, all he wanted to do was to rid himself of the hangover and not feel like a slug.

After his shower, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Going for a run sounded like a good idea. He put on his running shoes and pulled a hoodie from his closet. He grabbed his keys, wallet, and cell phone from the table by the door, pausing just a moment to realize how thoroughly Bones had cared for his needs last night. When he got down to the main door and opened it to the outside, he realized that he was starving. So, rather than turning left out of the parking lot to head for the park, he went right and began the short walk to the Waffle House on the next corner. A big greasy breakfast was great for a hangover… but then again, not before a run. He turned back around and headed for the park.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Brennan lay awake, staring at the ceiling above her bed. She hadn't slept much the previous night. She'd been too worried about her partner. She'd hated to leave him alone, but at the same time she knew that was what he needed.

She glanced at the clock. It was just after seven, so she threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. She went to her closet and dressed in jeans and a blouse. She had planned to stay home and write today, but she knew she'd never be able to concentrate. Instead, she was going to go into the lab.

Maybe if she had some unidentified remains to keep her occupied she wouldn't spend the entire day thinking about Booth. Her first instinct was to call and make sure he was all right, but she'd decided to wait and let him come to her. She knew him well enough to know that this was something he'd have to deal with on his own. She only hoped he'd let her in… she wanted to be there for him, in whatever way he would let her.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

As the cold air of late winter filled his lungs, Booth's feet pounded against the running trail.

He wanted to clear his head of both the alcohol-induced haze and Hannah's betrayal.

And make no mistake about it, she had betrayed him.

"_I thought we would have more time…"_

Those words seemed to be on a continuous loop running through his head.

"_I thought we would have more time…"_

What the hell had she been thinking?

"_Hey soldier, are you looking for a good time?"_

A good time.

That's what she'd been thinking.

But that didn't make sense.

His feet pounded against the packed earth as he ran over the steep inclines of the advanced running trail.

She came all the way from Afghanistan. She gave up the job she loved. She _moved in with him_, for God's sake. These are not the actions of a "good time girl." What the hell had she been thinking?

Her words said she'd never planned to stay… that she'd never been truly committed to him, but her actions said differently. What was he supposed to think?

God, why was he attracted to such complicated women?

He scoffed at the thought. That was just it; Hannah wasn't supposed to be complicated. With Hannah, things were supposed to be easy… from that first day under that fig tree, with Hannah things were easy.

Maybe they were too easy. Maybe he'd only been seeing what he wanted to see. Had he been so blinded by Bones' rejection that he hadn't seen Hannah for who she really was? Had he ascribed to her a role that she'd never given to herself, or was she playing him all along?

God, he was pathetic.

Sweets was right.

He was the male equivalent of an "old maid," and he was never going to find the woman who would change that fact. How in the hell had that happened?

He shook off the thought and forged ahead, running up the next hill and pushing thoughts of Hannah out of his mind. The sooner he stopped thinking about her, the sooner it would stop hurting and he could get on with his life… alone.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Sunday came and went, and Brennan was surprised that she didn't hear from her partner. She knew he'd need time on his own, but she had hoped to at least talk to him by the end of the weekend. Monday morning dawned without a word.

She walked into the lab and went directly to her office, not noticing the group of her friends and co-workers gathered on the platform with their heads together.

It didn't stop them from noticing her, however. Seeing her friend disappear into her office, Angela excused herself from the group and made her way down the steps. By the time she reached her best friend's office, Brennan was already seated at her desk and booting up her computer.

"Morning, sweetie," she said cautiously.

"Good morning, Angela," Brennan replied, without looking up.

"Did you have a good weekend?"

"It was fine."

"Are you okay?" Angela asked with concern.

Noticing the tone in her friend's voice, Brennan looked up before responding.

"What are you talking about, Angela?" she asked. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

The artist bit her bottom lip.

"You know," she hedged. "With Booth and Hannah getting married…"

"What?" Brennan replied, genuinely surprised. "Booth and Hannah aren't getting married. What would make you say that?"

"They are, Bren," Angela answered in an irritatingly condescending tone of voice. "He proposed on Friday. Sweets went with him to buy the ring."

Brennan felt an irrational anger welling up within her.

"Dr. Sweets needs to learn to keep his mouth shut," she said, turning her attention back to her computer.

"That's all you have to say?" Angela asked. "The love of your life is marrying someone else and Sweets needs to keep his mouth shut is all you have to say?"

"Angela, I told you… Booth and Hannah are not getting married."

"He didn't ask her?" Angela pried.

Brennan debated whether or not telling Angela what happened would break Booth's confidence. His feelings had to be her top priority, but then again she couldn't have Angela running around spreading false rumors, either.

"She turned him down," Brennan replied succinctly.

"Oh…"

Angela sunk down in the chair across from her friend's desk.

"Wow."

Brennan continued to focus on her computer, hoping to avoid the conversation Angela would inevitably want to have.

"Is he all right?"

"I don't know," Brennan answered.

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"That's what I said, Angela," Brennan answered abruptly. "I don't know. And I'm sorry, but I really don't want to talk about it. I can't. If Booth wants any of us to know, he'll tell us."

"What about Sweets?"

Brennan rested her head in her hands and let out a long sigh.

"Send him in here, please," she replied.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Sweets walked past Booth's office for the fifth time that day, surprised to find it left open this time. He took the opportunity to poke his head in.

"Agent Booth?"

"Go away, Sweets," Booth replied without looking up.

"I thought you might want to talk…"

"Seriously, Sweets," Booth said, a little more forcefully. "Go away."

"I will," Sweets replied, raising his hands in surrender. "But if you need to talk…"

"Damn it, Sweets," Booth said, finally looking up at the young man casting a shadow over his doorway. "Talking to you is what got me in this position in the first place. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now."

Sweets took this as his invitation to come in the office. He closed the door behind him.

"I don't remember inviting you in," Booth said, looking back down at the file in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Sweets asked with such sincerity, it caught Booth off guard.

"No," he said. "I'm not. How did you know, anyway? Hannah call you, too?"

"Dr. Brennan…"

Booth shook his head.

"Bones. I should have figured. God, can't anyone mind their own business anymore?"

"It's not like that," Sweets said, suddenly discovering a fascination with the tassels on his loafers.

"Oh, really?" Booth asked, sarcastically as he stood up and walked toward the doorway where Sweets was standing. "How is then? Did Bones tell you that I proposed to Hannah and she turned me down?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"But what, Sweets?" Booth said, and went on before the other man could respond. "Damn it. Maybe I am better off alone. I swear. How could she betray me like that? Why would she? Is she getting back at me for telling Hannah about her confession?"

Booth was pacing the room at this point and Sweets knew the agent had forgotten he was in the room. He didn't want to interrupt, but he was dangerously close to revealing something that he probably didn't want anyone else to be privy to.

"Agent Booth," the psychologist said, pulling Booth back to the present. "Dr. Brennan caught me telling Angela and Hodgins that you were going to propose to Hannah…"

"Oh, God," Booth said, sitting back down in his chair. "You told Angela?"

"Don't worry," Sweets said. "I'm sure Dr. Brennan set her straight."

"Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better," Booth said with a sigh. "Is nothing sacred with you people? God…"

Sweets found it interesting the number of times Booth had invoked the name of his deity, and began observing him from a more clinical standpoint. He refrained from mentioning that to Agent Booth. He stood and watched the other man for a few moments and then turned back toward the door.

"Seriously, Agent Booth," he said, opening the door. "If you need to talk…"

"Seriously, Sweets," Booth replied. "One more time and I _am_ going to shoot you."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

It was seven o'clock the next time someone deigned to darken his door. And this intruder didn't bother with knocking.

"Hey," she said, walking in to the room.

"Hey," he replied.

"I brought dinner," she said, holding up a brown paper bag.

"Thai?" he asked.

"No," she replied with a wry smile. "I thought you'd rather have a Tofu burger from my favorite vegetarian restaurant."

"Funny," he said, genuinely smiling for the first time in days. When had she started zinging sarcastic come-backs?

She closed the distance between them by stepping up and taking the seat across from his desk. She set the bag down on an empty corner of his desk.

"I got you Pad Prak Ruam," she said, handing him a cardboard container.

"Thanks, Bones," he said, reaching for the proffered chopsticks and digging in.

She watched him dig in and close his eyes. The sound he released upon tasting the food was something akin to a moan. She bit her lip to try and avoid the reaction it caused in her.

"This is so good," he said. "It's been so long since I had good Thai. Hannah hates it, so…"

He stopped, not needing to continue the statement… and she smiled, thinking that at least one thing was still "theirs."

"I had thought I'd hear from you," she said. "If not yesterday, than at least some time today…"

"I'm sorry," he answered. "I just got caught up. First in my wallowing… and then in work. It's been kinda swamped here today."

"Good thing we didn't catch a case then, I guess," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed.

Silence hung heavily between them.

"Thanks for bringing me dinner, Bones," he said.

"That's what partners do, right?" she asked with a shy smile.

"Right," he agreed.

There was another long pause.

"Bones…" "Booth…" they said at the same time.

He looked across the desk and really saw her for the first time in a long time. He could see so many emotions playing across her face. Her beautiful face.

"I just need some time, Bones," he said, sounding defeated.

"Time and space?" she asked, smiling and remembering another time when they'd had this conversation.

"No," he said. "Just time."

She smiled again as her posture relaxed… she could give him that. But she would be sure to be there when he needed her.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Not much to say by way of an AN… just thanks for reading, alerting and favoriting! I'm overwhelmed, and I really get a lot from your reviews- especially the ones who detail what you like (or don't like, for that matter)- they really help me keep going and keep things moving in the right direction. Keep them coming!**_

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

The Propulsion in the Parting

Chapter 3

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"You're wallowing."

"So what if I am?"

"You need to stop."

"Really?" he responded, full of sarcasm. "I need to stop? Well, let's see… my life sucks and I'm going to spend the rest of it alone. I think that gives me the right to wallow a little, Camille."

"Don't call me Camille," she said with a sad smile. "Come on, Seeley," she said, nudging him with her shoulder as she sat down at the bar next to him. "I get it. Really, I do. And yes, what you're going through sucks and you do have the right to wallow…"

"Thank you," he interrupted, bringing the glass to his lips.

"… a little," she finished. "You get to wallow a little, but it's time to give it a rest. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on, Big Man. It's time."

"Move on," he scoffed, raising his glass to indicate to the bartender that he wanted another. "Isn't that what got me here?"

"Is it?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Look Seeley," she said. "I know you. Probably better than most people at this point. Hannah was great. On paper, she was the perfect girl. And in reality, she's probably the perfect girl… for someone else. I think we both know who the perfect girl for you is."

"Now is not the time to go there, Cam," he said, taking another drink.

"Maybe not," she said, taking the glass from him. "But it is time to stop this," she went on, indicating the glass. "The drinking isn't helping."

"I'm not a drunk."

"I didn't say you were," she replied. "But it's been over a week, and the only nights you haven't spent at this bar have been the past couple when Parker was with you. Sitting here, drinking alone isn't going to make the pain go away and it isn't going to bring Hannah back."

"Is that what you think I want?" he asked, incredulous.

"Isn't it?"

"No," he answered.

"I mean, I would think that usually when a guy spends a week wallowing in self-pity after he asks a woman to marry him, he's hoping she comes back."

"I'm not."

"Really?"

"I thought you said you knew me," he responded with a slow, sad smile.

"Talk me, Seeley," she said. "We've been friends for a really long time, and I'd really like to be able to help you right now."

"What's wrong with me, Cam?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" she replied.

"I mean, really… what is it about me that makes women go screaming for the hills? Rebecca, she had my baby-but she didn't want to marry me. Hannah, well- I was good enough for a roll in the sand and she could even live with me, but she didn't want to marry me. And Bones- god, Bones… I told her I love her and it sent her running off to the jungle for a year. I just don't get it…"

Cam listened as Booth went on. Her heart was breaking for her friend. She really didn't know how bad it was. She'd been wrapped up in Michelle and Paul… she hadn't really noticed what was going on in his life. Of course, he'd not really been around much since he'd gotten back from Afghanistan, either. He'd kind of made it clear that he didn't want to be part of the "gang" anymore. At least, that's what it had felt like.

She realized now, that she may have been wrong about that. Booth was just being Booth- trying to deal with things on his own and in his own way. He never wanted to burden anyone else with his problems. So, rather than get into the root of the problem and try to fix it, he'd just gone in search of a band-aid. A perky, blonde band-aid.

She sat back and let him continue.

"… I mean, I'm a good person… I'm a good looking guy... I served my country… I put bad guys away... I believe in God... I take care of my family… Why was I not good enough for them?"

She waited a moment, unsure of whether he really expected an answer and unsure of whether or not she could actually give him one. Then he looked up at her with those warm brown eyes that somehow seemed both full of hope and full of despair at the same time.

"You were always good enough, Seeley," she said. "Maybe too good."

He scoffed.

"Yeah, that really doesn't make me feel better," he said.

"So why are you really here?" she asked. "I thought things were getting better. Toward the end of the week, you seemed to be doing better. You were actually smiling."

"I was looking forward to spending the weekend with Parker," he said.

"So…" she said, prodding. "The weekend's over and now we're back?"

"No," he answered. "The weekend's over and I feel like shit. I'm a fraud, Cam. I lied to my kid."

"About?"

"Hannah," he said. "He asked where she was and I told him she was working. I just didn't have the heart to explain that she wasn't coming back. I mean, he just got used to having her around…"

"And you're not used to the idea of having her gone…"

"No," he said. "That's really not it. I'm okay with Hannah being gone. I think she was just playing me, Cam. She didn't love me, not really."

"Why do you say that?"

"She wasn't really committed to the relationship," he said.

"Seeley," Cam replied, stunned by his answer. "She gave up her job and moved here to be with you. That's a pretty good indicator of commitment."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" he said bitterly, reaching for the glass of scotch that now sat in front of Cam. "Know what she said when I asked her to marry me?"

Cam shook her head, her mouth still gaping in disbelief.

"She said, '_Oh god, Seeley. I thought we'd have more time before we got to this…'_ She knew I wanted to get married. She knew what I wanted from the relationship. But she never planned to stay. She said she's not the _marrying kind_," he told her, emphasizing his last words with air quotes.

Cam was genuinely shocked. She had really thought Hannah was good for him. He seemed to be moving on from Dr. Brennan and she thought it was great that her friend was in a strong, healthy relationship.

"And I'm not even sure that's the worst of it," he said. "Know what she said right after that? She said we could just pretend like it never happened, like I never asked. She wanted to go out to dinner, go home, have sex… like I hadn't just laid my heart on the line for her. What kind of woman does that, Camille?"

"One that's not good enough for _you_, Seeley Booth," she answered honestly. "So, if you're not here drinking alone over Hannah, why are you?"

"I'm here drinking alone 'cause I'm a lousy father and a miserable excuse for a human being," he said, taking another drink.

"Okay, that's enough," she said. "I mean it. You're cut off. I've heard enough. I get that Hannah really did a number on you, and I'm genuinely sorry about that… but you are a great father, and you just told me yourself that you're a good person. So, I'm not going to sit here and listen to another word of this crap."

"I lied to him, Cam. All weekend long."

"Yes," she answered. "You did. You did it to spare him pain and confusion. You are a wonderful father. You can't even wrap your own head around this right now, how can you expect to be able to explain it to a ten-year-old? You'll tell Parker when the time is right. Right now, I think it's time to get you some food and get you home."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Brennan looked over at the clock on her microwave. It was after eight on Monday and she hadn't heard from Booth since Friday. She knew he'd had Parker for the weekend, but she thought maybe he'd call her today.

She was torn. This emotional upheaval and letting her heart lead her was a new experience for her and she knew she had to tread the waters lightly. She knew it was too soon after his break-up with Hannah to expect any kind of romantic relationship with Booth, but she had also hoped that he would rely on their friendship and let her be there for him in a time like this.

Although he'd only asked for time, she knew she had to give him space. She just didn't know how much space. She wanted him to come to her… but she wasn't going to wait much longer. If he didn't come to her and let her in, let her help him, then she was going to go to him on her own and make it happen.

It was at this thought that she was smiling when her phone rang.

"Brennan," she answered.

"Temperance," came the voice over the static connection. "It's Hannah. I need to talk to you."

"Hannah," she replied curtly. "I'm not sure I have anything to say to you."

In truth, she had plenty to say to the other woman, but she didn't feel it was her place.

"I need your help," Hannah said.

_You've got to be kidding me,_ was the thought that ran through Brennan's mind but she didn't respond. She just let Hannah go on.

"I told you that Seeley and I broke up," she said. "I left DC and came back overseas… but I honestly don't think we're done yet. I love him, Temperance, and I want him back."

"We can't always get what we want," Brennan replied. That was something she knew painfully a lot about… and she'd had to learn the hard way.

"That was unkind," Hannah replied.

"Was it?" Brennan answered back, no longer concerned with keeping her anger with the other woman at bay. "As unkind as breaking Booth's heart? Was it as unkind as stringing him along for months, keeping him from the people who really care about him? Was it as unkind as getting close to Parker when you never had any intention of staying around?"

Hannah was shocked by Brennan's tirade, but she was even more taken aback when she realized the anthropologist was just getting warmed up.

"I trusted you," Brennan said. "I told you he was going to give you his whole heart. I asked you not move forward with him if you couldn't do the same. You promised me that you wouldn't break his heart."

Hannah finally got it.

"How long have you been in love with him?" she asked. She knew that Temperance had feelings for Seeley. She'd thought she'd seen it for a while, but he confirmed it when he told her about that night she'd talked to him about regrets. She just never realized that the other woman's feelings ran so deep.

"I don't know," Brennan answered honestly without thinking. "Longer than I realized probably." Catching her slip, she moved on quickly. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that you took advantage of him."

"What? _I_ took advantage of _him_? Temperance, I don't know what you think you know… but Seeley knew exactly what he was getting into with me. You weren't there when we started. Seeley and I were all about having fun. And it was great. Then we came back there and everything got so serious…"

"That's real life, Hannah," Brennan said, channeling Angela and all the inner strength she had. "His life. He opened it up to you. He shared everything with you and you threw it all away."

"I know," Hannah admitted. "And that was a mistake. Like I said, I want him back."

"Are you willing to marry him?"

"Well, no, but…"

"But nothing, Hannah. I'm not going to help you hurt him again. If he wants to talk to you, or see you… it will be on his terms, but I won't have a part of it. Have a nice life."

Brennan smiled as she hung up the phone. That actually felt good, and it gave her some more clarity as to what she wanted with Booth.

She was finished with waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN- I've received quite a few comments and messages stating "I don't know if I see Brennan doing/saying that…" To that I say, "Good!" I want you to know, that I KNOW that the Brennan you're seeing in this story is quite a bit more emotionally evolved than the Brennan we are seeing on the show. I've done that on purpose… I think that she has always had a huge heart and she's not as clueless as we've been led to believe. I also believe that after her epiphany in "The Doctor in the Photo," she is making a conscious effort to be more open. And in this story, she's definitely intentionally focusing on her emotions, putting her brain in neutral and trying to let her metaphorical heart lead the way! :-) **_

_**Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support… please keep those reviews coming!**_

_**Big thanks to Ceeray3 for holding my hand and helping me keep this thing moving along... and to NatesMama1128 for the Flyers info!**_

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Chapter 4

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Booth moved quickly around his room as he packed an overnight bag. Bones told him to pack casual clothes. She said jeans were fine, and he didn't need to bring a suit… He had no clue what was going on, but it didn't seem to be work related. She'd simply told him at lunch that he had to get home and pack a bag. She'd be picking him up shortly and there wasn't a lot of time.

He glanced down at his watch. He needed to hurry, she'd be there to pick him up in less than ten minutes.

He'd just finished gathering his toiletries when he heard a knock at the door.

He walked over to answer it, knowing it would be his partner.

"Oh good," she said. "You're ready. I won't bother to lecture you about checking to see who's on the other side of the door before you open it," she told him, smiling. "We don't have time."

She looked down at her watch.

"We really have to get going," she said.

"By all means, Bones," he said, following her to the front door. "Let's go."

Half an hour later, they were standing in the security line at Dulles. She'd tried to keep him from realizing their destination by utilizing the online check-in and electronic boarding pass feature. She showed the TSA agent at the security line her phone and the agent scanned their boarding passes.

"Seriously, Bones," he grumbled as he dropped his shoes, badge, wallet and belt in the bin for the x-ray machine. "You're not going to tell me where we're going? This could be construed as kidnapping you know."

Suddenly, several pairs of eyes were on them as the TSA agents were on alert to the man complaining about being kidnapped.

"He's joking," she said, rolling her eyes. They were on a tight schedule and she couldn't afford for his histrionics to get them detained by TSA. "He's a federal agent and he's just used to being in charge. He gets a little testy when someone else is calling the shots. Show them your badge, Booth."

Booth pointed to his ID wallet that was in the bin. The agent picked it up and checked Brennan's story.

"It's not easy to surprise a decorated FBI agent," Brennan said, hoping to diffuse the situation. She paused briefly to mentally congratulate herself for the smooth way she was able to handle things.

Soon, they were through the security checkpoint and making their way to their gate. They arrived just as they were beginning to board the plane.

"US Airways would like to welcome you to flight 1715 non-stop to Fort Lauderdale. We'll begin by boarding our first class passengers…"

"That's us," she said, ushering him up to the gate attendant.

"Fort Lauderdale?" he asked.

She still hadn't said anything when they were in their seats.

"Why are we going to Florida, Bones?" he asked.

"Because my best friend has had a really rough couple of weeks," she said softly as she turned to him. "I thought it might be good to you to get out of the city for a couple of days."

"Okay," he answered. "I get that, and thank you… but why did we have to rush out on a Wednesday afternoon? Isn't this something most people do on the weekend?"

She smiled.

"Since when are we most people, Booth?" she asked. "Just try to relax and enjoy the flight. We'll be there in a little over two hours and all your questions will be answered."

As the plane took off, he tried to do what his partner had suggested. He sat back and closed his eyes, thinking about how lucky he was to have Bones in his life. It had been twelve days since his failed proposal to Hannah… two days ago, he'd spent Valentine's Day crying in his scotch to Cam at the Founding Fathers… but today, today he was leaning back in a First Class seat on his way to Florida, just because his best friend wanted to do something nice for him.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth looked over at his partner from the driver's seat of their rental car. He was thankful that she'd let him drive and was following her directions.

"Okay, Bones," he said. "Now that we're on the road, and uh… I'm the one driving, are you gonna let me in on where we're going?"

"Right now," she said, "We're on our way to the Crowne Plaza at Sawgrass Mills. Follow the road signs toward Sunrise."

"What's Sawgrass Mills?" he asked.

"It's the largest outlet, retail and entertainment destination in Florida," she said with a knowing smile.

"Oh God," he lamented. "You didn't bring me down here to go shopping, did you? 'Cause really, that's more of an Angela 'best friends' kind of thing…"

She laughed.

"Don't worry, Booth," she answered. "We didn't come here to go shopping."

"So are what _are _we doing?"

"You'll find out soon," she said, glancing at her watch. "Once we check in to the hotel, we'll have just a few minutes before dinner."

He looked at her, knowing it was futile to ask the question.

"We have reservations at the Rainforest Café," she said. "I've never been there, but I understand that it is actually a reasonable simulation of a real rain forest."

"Sounds like fun, Bones," he said.

"It does, doesn't it?" she said with a smile. She was pleased that things were going so well. He seemed to be relaxing, and he hadn't figured out her surprise yet.

Soon they were at the hotel and dropping off their things into their adjoining rooms. Brennan opened her side of the connecting door and knocked on his.

He was smiling as opened the door and leaned against the door jamb.

"Here," she said, holding out her arm and handing him a medium sized shopping bag.

"What's this?" he replied, smiling with a hint of blush on his cheeks.

"Open it," she said, biting her bottom lip.

He tore through the tissue in the top of the bag and pulled out a shirt. It was mostly orange and white… there was some black, too. Then he noticed the number 22 on the sleeve.

"Bones, this is a Ville Leino jersey!"

"Do you like it?" she asked, timidly hoping she'd made the right choice.

"I love it!" he answered. "But I don't get it… I mean, it's not my birthday or anything… what's going on?"

"I told you," she said. "You've had a rough couple of weeks and you needed to get away, maybe have something else to focus on…"

He nodded, listening to her as she went on.

"… and I thought you might like to attend a hockey match," she said, watching as her plan started to take form in his mind.

"The Philadelphia Flyers are playing the Florida Panthers tonight," she went on, reaching out to hand him an envelope. "And we've got tickets," she finished, beaming at his obvious delight.

"Bones, this is amazing! You are amazing!" he said, picking her up in his arms and spinning her around. "You're the best! Thank you," he said, setting her down as he realized she was in his arms. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Booth," she said. "I'm glad you're happy. We need to get going if we're going to make our reservations. Just give me a minute to change and we can get going."

"Okay," he said. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

She closed the door behind her as he pulled the jersey on over his head. He checked himself in the mirror and decided to throw a little styling gel in his hair. He took a few minutes to make sure he looked his best, unsure of why he felt the need to do so, and then gathered his phone and wallet before closing the door behind himself and going down to meet Bones in the lobby.

Booth was flipping through a brochure on Sawgrass Mills that he'd picked up at the concierge desk when Bones stepped off the elevator. She took his breath away.

Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail. She was wearing jeans and a black baby doll tee with the Flyers logo on the front, and carrying an orange jacket over her arm.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yep," he answered. "I see that the restaurant is at Sawgrass Mills. It's just down the road and so is the Bank Atlantic Center, so there won't be too much travel time."

"I know," she said.

"Of course you do," he replied, stepping up to place his hand at the small of her back and lead her to the front door of the hotel. It struck him that it had been a long time since he'd extended the gesture, and it definitely felt right.

He should have realized that she'd planned everything to the "t," but he was amazed that she'd done so… and apparently in a really short time.

"How did you pull this all together?" he asked.

"It wasn't too difficult," she said. "Just a call to my travel agent and one to the concierge here at the hotel."

"When?" he asked, opening the passenger door for as the valet jumped out of their rental car.

"Monday," she answered. "You seemed so down… so… unlike the Booth I have come to know… " She paused, apparently searching for the right words. "I know you said that you felt like Valentine's Day was just a holiday made up by the greeting card companies, but I could tell that it hit you hard…"

He sat back and listened to her, amazed at how open she seemed to be… at how she seemed to be embracing her emotions instead of running from them. He couldn't help but think of that rainy night when she'd told him she didn't want to regret never having told him how she felt. Something had changed in her and he found that he was looking forward to getting to know her all over again.

"… I tried to think of something you would enjoy and I thought of the hockey game," she said. "I didn't expect to travel this far, but the Flyers weren't playing in house this week."

"At home," he said with a smile. "They're not playing at home. They're on the road, and so are we. Thanks again, Bones. This is great."

"That's what friends are for, right?" she said.

"Right."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"This is absolutely nothing like a real rain forest," Brennan lamented after the waitress had taken their orders.

Booth just smiled and let her go on with her tirade, expecting it ever since he'd looked at the brochure for the kid-friendly tourist themed restaurant back at the hotel.

He listened as she pointed out the inaccuracies in the murals and the topiaries, the animatronic animals and even the climate. It was comforting to know that some things never changed.

She had finally calmed down by the time the waitress returned with her Mushroom Ravioli and his Amazon Fajitas.

They spent the rest of the meal in easy conversation that reminded them both of old times.

Booth gave her some pointers about hockey and what to expect from the game they'd be seeing, but she didn't have too many questions. She had learned a lot about the game by spending time with Booth over the years. She'd been to both his and Parker's games and she'd been sitting on the sofa while he watched quite a few games on television. Since this trip was so last minute she hadn't really had the chance to study the game, but she knew that Booth would make sure she knew everything she needed to know.

After dinner, they stopped off at the gift shop to pick up a souvenir for Parker. After much debate, they settled on a stuffed "Cha-Cha," the red-eyed tree frog mascot of the restaurant. Soon they were walking out to the car, Booth's hand back in its place at the small of her back.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Once they'd shown their tickets and made their way into the arena, they stopped at a souvenir station for a program and a Flyers ball cap for Brennan. Booth had always thought she looked cute with her ponytail hanging from the back of a baseball cap, and he thought the hat finished off her outfit perfectly. She looked every bit the diehard Flyers fan, and she was gorgeous.

They stopped off for a couple of beers before making their way down to their seats right behind the Flyers bench.

Booth was in heaven… and in awe of the lengths his partner would go to just to cheer him up. After Cam had kicked him in the metaphorical ass the other night, he'd decide it was time to pick up and forge ahead. He had made the decision to stop moping and get back into the land of the living, and this trip was the perfect way to do it. He was amazed anew at how well his partner knew him.

He knew he had to stop feeling sorry for himself because there was really nothing to feel sorry for… he honestly wasn't sorry Hannah was gone, at least not now that he knew her for who she really was. Of course, since he was no longer wallowing in self-pity he also had to acknowledge to himself that it wasn't all her fault. He had been blinded by the pain of Bones' rejection… and he could see now that he had played a big part in his seeing Hannah as something she wasn't.

He was also beginning to realize that he had definitely been hasty in labeling Bones' reaction to his declaration a rejection. She hadn't rejected him, truly… but she hadn't exactly embraced his feelings, either.

He looked over at the beautiful woman sitting next to him as she focused on the players zipping along the ice, and he thought back to that rainy night that seemed so long ago. Maybe there was hope for them after all.

But for now, he was going to enjoy the game that she'd taken such great pains to bring him to see.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth was on an emotional high as they walked back to the car. His Flyers had won the game, beating the Panthers four to two and he was still in awe of all that Bones had done for him. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand as they followed the crowd streaming out of the arena.

When he realized what he'd done, he expected her to pull away. She didn't. In fact, she held on tight and turned to him with what could only be described as a coy smile.

"You know, Bones," he said, still riding along the waves of euphoria. "This is feeling an awful lot like a date."

She smiled.

"And would it be such a bad thing if it were?" she asked.

"Not at all, Bones," he replied. "Not at all."


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN- Sorry it's been so long… went out of town for the weekend to visit my brother and I thought I'd have time to write on the trip. But, it didn't work out that way. :-) This chapter may not be what you're expecting- but hang in there with me. Please read and review… I'm looking forward to your thoughts!**_

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Chapter 5

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"So," Angela said, drawing the word and smiling widely.

"So, what?" Brennan asked.

"So, you took off without a word in the middle of the workweek," Angela answered. "And coincidentally, so did Booth."

"Yes," Brennan responded.

"Yes?"

"Yes, we took some time off," Brennan answered, matter-of-fact.

Angela rolled her eyes. After all these years, she should know that getting information from her best friend was like pulling teeth.

"_Why_ did you take time off?" she asked.

"We went to a hockey game," Brennan replied.

"A hockey game?"

"Yes."

"But you haven't been here since Wednesday morning…"

"The hockey game was in Florida," Brennan told her.

"Okay…." Angela said, again dragging the word out.

This time, it was Brennan who rolled her eyes. She knew that she wasn't going to get any work done when her friend was in the mood to satisfy her curiosity.

"It's nothing, Angela. He's been having a hard time and I thought he could get his mind off things if he had something else to focus on. He loves hockey, so I thought I'd take him to a game."

"A game," Angela said with a smile.

"Yes, I took him to a Philadelphia Flyers game."

"But you went to _Florida_," Angela asserted, interrupting. "Bren, this is huge."

"No, Ang," Brennan replied. "It really isn't."

It took Angela a minute to notice the change in Brennan's mood and the look on her face… and the fact that she'd lost Brennan's attention. What she didn't know was what had captured her friend's attention. What she couldn't know was that Brennan meant exactly what she said.

She remembered Booth taking her hand as they walked out of the hockey arena.

_She smiled a rueful smile as she remembered his seemingly joking comment about the trip feeling like a date… and her all-too-serious reaction._

"_You know, Bones," he said, still riding along the waves of euphoria. "This is feeling an awful lot like a date."_

_She smiled. _

"_And would it be such a bad thing if it were?" she asked._

"_Not at all, Bones," he replied. "Not at all."_

_The short ride back to the hotel was a quiet one. Booth was still riding the high of the Flyers win and Brennan was feeling hopeful about the future. When she planned the trip, it had truly been in the name of friendship. Booth was her friend and he was hurting. She simply wanted to do something to make him feel better._

_If she were being honest with herself, she'd admit that she was hoping to begin working toward rebuilding their friendship and partnership. _

_She knew it was too soon after his break-up with Hannah to broach the subject of a romantic relationship between them… and she wasn't even sure that Booth would still want that. But then he'd reacted so positively to the idea of a date with her that she'd allowed herself to hope._

_But by the time they'd reached the side-by-side doors to their hotels rooms, something had changed._

_He reached out for her hand, but it wasn't as intimate a gesture as before, it felt different. He gave her hand a brief squeeze._

"_Thanks again, Bones," he said. "Goodnight."_

"_Goodnight," she replied, hoping to hide her surprise at his apparent change in demeanor._

_She knew he waited until she'd closed her door behind her before he went into his room._

_She'd spent the rest of the night wondering about the abrupt change in her partner's behavior. They had enjoyed a fun evening. It had been much like old times, and then so much more. _

_By the time they had gotten back to the hotel, things seemed to have changed so much._

_The next day, they drove out to the beach. It was too cold to get into the water, but they enjoyed a walk along the surf. They talked, but about nothing… really. He talked about how Parker loved the beach. She talked about a trip to the beach with her parents when she was Parker's age._

_He was jovial and they shared a bit of their old camaraderie as they wandered through the outlet center at Sawgrass Mills, enjoying the collection of seven-foot tall alligator sculptures painted by local artists. He introduced her to Parker's favorite video game at a place called GameWorks. They had a good time, but he was keeping her at arm's length. _

_By the time their plane landed at Dulles on Friday night, she felt as disconnected from him as she had before they left for Florida._

Nothing.

"Bren?"

"Really, Ang," Brennan replied, and Angela heard the exhaustion in her voice. "It was nothing and we have work to do. Mr. Vaziri has left me his findings on the case I assigned him from Bone Storage. Do you have anything for me?"

"I do," Angela answered, deciding to let it go for now. "I have a reconstruction. I have to get it from my office. I'll bring it in."

"Thank you," Brennan responded, turning her attention back to her computer. "I missed almost three days of work, and I have a lot to catch up with."

"I'll be right back," Angela said, knowing that she'd lost Brennan's attention.

When Angela had left, Brennan swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and forced herself to focus on the business at hand. She'd spend the rest of the weekend dwelling on the change that occurred in Booth after the hockey game.

She hadn't been able to discern what had happened… at least not fully. She did know the moment that had been the turning point. She knew that the change in him happened when she admitted that she had considered their outing to be a date. At first, he'd seemed happy with the idea… but that happiness hadn't lasted long.

Then it hit her.

He really had moved on.

Hannah was gone, but that didn't mean that Brennan was going to get her second chance. Booth was happy being her friend, but he was no longer interested in a romantic relationship with her.

She wiped away the tear that had fallen down her cheek and made a conscious decision to keep things professional between herself and her partner.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth sat back on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. It was Wednesday night and promising to be a long week. They hadn't had a case for more than a week, and he hadn't seen Bones since they'd come home from Florida.

He wasn't sure how to deal with what was happening between them.

With Hannah gone, he'd had begun to realize more than ever that Bones really was "the one." He'd never really gotten over her, but at the same time he _had_ really loved Hannah. And he owed it to both of them to make a clean break and take some time to move beyond his relationship with Hannah before starting the last relationship of his life.

He thought back to the weekend. It had really been incredible. No one knew him the way Bones did. He hadn't thought about the money she'd spent on their last minute getaway, because he knew that the money meant nothing to her. But he was amazed at the effort she'd put in to doing something that would really mean a lot to him.

He had really loved sharing something that he enjoyed so much with her. The game had been great, and he had really loved having her by his side. She looked gorgeous in her Flyers gear, and he couldn't resist buying her a ball cap to go with it.

They had really had a great time.

He remembered the high he was feeling when they walked out of the arena. When he commented about the evening feeling like a date, he was amazed that she actually admitted that she felt the same way. He couldn't remember a moment that he'd felt better.

By the time they'd gotten to the car, he'd begun thinking back to that rainy night in Woodland. His heart had soared momentarily when Bones, his Bones, had told him that she didn't want to regret never letting him know how she felt. But as quickly as his heart had reached that new height, it came crashing back down to the ground. Hannah. He was with Hannah. He remembered his words to Bones… words that had been painful for both of them. "I love her. She's not a consolation prize."

And she wasn't.

But neither was Bones.

She was everything, and he had be sure she really knew that.

It hadn't been two weeks since he'd proposed marriage to Hannah. And while, he was actually relieved that she'd turned him down, he wanted to wait with Bone and do things the right way.

But therein lay the problem.

He was so happy, and so excited about the prospect of what could happen between them… but then he realized how quickly things might get out of hand if he didn't back off a little bit. Now that he knew that Bones was still interested in a relationship between them, he knew what he had to do.

He was going to take time to get over the end of the relationship with Hannah and then he would properly pursue the love of his life.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Angela spent the rest of the day observing her best friend. Finally at the end of the work day, she could take it no more. She stopped in to Brennan's office on her way out for the day.

"Hey, Sweetie," she said. "How 'bout you come to dinner with Jack and me?"

"It's all right, Angela," Brennan replied. "I still have a lot of work to do."

"No, you don't," Angela said. "The work will still be here tomorrow, and you've got to eat."

Brennan smiled ruefully.

"You sound like Booth," she said, unable to hide her sadness.

"You know what?" Angela said. "I think we need a little girl time. I'm gonna send Jack on home and you and me are gonna go get something to eat."

"Angela…"

"No excuses, Bren," Angela said firmly. "Come on. It's time to pack it in for the night."

Angela stood by and waited for her friend to shut down her computer and put away her files. She waited for Brennan to get up and put on her coat, and then she followed her out of the office.

"What's going on?" Angela asked as they walked to the parking garage.

"I don't know what you mean," Brennan said unconvincingly.

"Come on, Brennan," Angela replied. "After all these years, do you really think we still fall for that?" Angela smiled as she went on. "You understand a lot more than you let on. In fact, since you came back from Indonesia, I've notice huge growth emotionally… so, don't try to hide from me, Bren. I know you. I'll ask again, what's going on? I have a feeling it has something to do with your trip to Florida. How did it go?"

"It was great, Angela," Brennan replied. "It started out really great. I didn't tell him where we were going and I managed to keep the game a secret until we got to the hotel," she said with a smile as they approached her car. "He was so excited. I knew I'd made the right decision."

They spent the drive to the restaurant with Brennan telling Angela about the night at the hockey game and the rest of the trip. She even told her about the confession she'd made to Booth so many months ago.

By the time they were seated at a corner table in their favorite trendy bistro, Brennan was recounting to her friend that she hadn't heard from her partner since their return on Friday.

"Oh, Bren," Angela said, reaching across the table to take her friend's hand. "I'm so sorry."

Brennan sniffed back tears, nodding.

"Thank you," she said. "So, now he's moved on and I have to find a way to move on, myself."

"Sweetie, I know you're hurting right now, but I don't think you should give up… not just yet."

"I have to, Angela," Brennan replied. "You know what you said about my being more open emotionally? You were right. But that means it hurts more, too… and I don't function well this way. I find that I can no longer compartmentalize when it comes to Booth. I have to find a way to be able to do that."

For the first time in a long time, Angela found herself not knowing what to say.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to work with him anymore, Angela," Brennan said, much to her friend's surprise. "This last year has been so hard," she went on. "It was so difficult to watch him with Hannah… I'm not sure I could do that again."

Angela felt her stomach drop, and knew it had nothing to do with the baby.

"Bren," she said, "I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't do anything just yet," Angela said. "I understand that you're in a lot of pain right now, but this is something that you can't make a rash decision about…"

"I don't make rash decisions, Angela."

"No, you don't," Angela said with a pained smile. "So promise me you'll take your time to think about this."

"I will."


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN- Here's another one… I apologize for the creeping pace of the story-but be patient with me, we'll get there eventually.**_

_**As always, I want to know what you think. Please read and review! **_

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Chapter 6

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Confused was not a natural state of being for Temperance Brennan, and she hated it.

She'd had dinner with Angela and told her about Booth and their weekend. She had thought that talking about it might help, but it had only made her more confused. She had promised Angela she'd really think about it before she made any decisions regarding her partnership with Booth. She was sure that Angela didn't understand that thinking was all she'd been doing.

She walked down the hall toward her bedroom and paused as she passed the mirror hanging there.

She almost didn't recognize the woman she saw looking back at her. Where was the Temperance Brennan who always knew what she wanted? Where was the Temperance Brennan who never had to stop and think about anything because she was always right? What had happened to her confidence?

She had to think. Angela told her not to make a rash decision, and in truth she was slightly offended by the request. Of course she wouldn't make a rash decision. She always considered all the evidence and used logic to reason out the most rational outcome. She couldn't help it if she was able to process information faster than most people.

She had to look at the evidence.

"_Look at ALL the evidence,"_ she heard Booth's voice in her head. And she thought back to the advice he'd given her during her father's trial. It had served her well in her pursuit of an open heart.

"_You gotta just take your brain and put it in neutral, and take your heart and pop in into overdrive._

So was she supposed to study the evidence with her brain or should she use her metaphorical heart?

Temperance Brennan hated being confused.

**BnBnBnBnB**

Booth turned on the television and began to flip channels. He landed on ESPN and was disappointed that his team wasn't playing. They beat the Coyotes the night before, and they'd be playing the Islanders tomorrow.

This lead him back to the game he'd gone to with Bones last week.

Bones.

She'd been in the back of his mind constantly over the past several days. He hadn't pulled a case that required the Jeffersonian's help, and he'd been helping out with a case that the Fraud Division had been having trouble with. He'd been busy, but she was never far from his mind.

That's when it hit him that it had been five days since he'd even talked to her. And, not for the first time, he was thankful that his Bones was not like other women. Most women would be freaking out

He was such an idiot.

_The woman plans an amazing trip for you, you have an incredible time and then you don't talk to her for five days. What kind of douchebag does that?_

_Apparently, you do. Idiot._

He pulled out his phone to call her. What would he say? They didn't have a current case, and he was still trying to keep himself objective when it came to their personal relationship. But God, he missed her.

He started to dial the phone and then put it back down on the table. He sat and stared at it for a few moments and then checked the time. He imagined she was sitting in her apartment, reading or working on her book.

He picked up the phone again, and again he put it down.

_Way to go, Seel. When did you become a teenaged girl?_

He steeled his resolve and dialed the phone.

His knee began involuntarily bouncing as he waited for her to answer.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

Four… and before he had a chance to think about what he would say, her voicemail picked up.

**BnBnBnBnB**

Brennan sat back on her sofa, a glass of red wine at her elbow and her notebook computer on her lap.

She had been staring at a blank screen for a long while now. Her original thought had been that working on her manuscript might be a good diversion from her thoughts about Booth. If she could focus her mind on something she understood, something rational… then she may be able to go back and logically look at the situation at hand.

This had, perhaps, been a good idea in theory but in practice it wasn't working.

She was startled from her reverie by the ringing of her cell phone. She looked down to see Booth's face looking back at her from the screen of her iPhone. Her heart rate increased slightly as she reached for the phone.

She held it in her hand, just looking at it… listening to the once familiar ring tone.

She set the phone back down on the table without answering, and waited for the voicemail notification to pop up on the screen.

**BnBnBnBnB**

Booth set the phone back down on the table. She was probably just busy. She wouldn't avoid him, would she? No. Not Bones. She wasn't like that.

Then he thought about the lame message he'd left. He couldn't believe he'd gotten so nervous that he'd hung up without really saying, good bye. Man, he really _was_ a teenaged girl.

He'd see her tomorrow and apologize for not calling. Then they could get started on rebuilding the friendship that he now realized had suffered during his relationship with Hannah. That was the first step toward their forever.

He was psyched about really doing things right this time. He wanted Bones to know how important she was to him, and he was looking forward to properly wooing her. Friends first, partners. And then maybe sometime in the spring or early summer, they would be ready to progress to a romantic relationship.

Pleased with himself for thinking rationally and planning for a well thought out time line, he leaned back and put his feet back up on the table. He took a long pull on his beer and a bite of his sandwich as he turned up the volume on the television to enjoy the highlights presented on SportsCenter.

**BnBnBnBnB**

She tapped the "play" arrow one more time.

"_Hey Bones, it's me. It's been a crazy week, sorry I haven't been around. I'm still helping Muncie and Taylor with that Fraud case. If we don't catch a case tomorrow, let's do lunch, okay?"_

And that was it.

Work. Lunch.

She closed her eyes and filed this information away with the other evidence that told her Booth was no longer interested in a romantic relationship. She felt her emotions warring within her. Part of her was excited and longing to just see him, but the far more rational part of her knew that seeing him when he didn't feel the same way she did would only cause her pain. Having an open heart wasn't all it was touted to be.

Temperance Brennan hated being confused.

**BnBnBnBnB**

"Well, hello there Agent Stud Muffin," Angela said brightly as Booth walked in to the lab. "Long time, no see."

It _had_ been a while.

"Hey, Ang," he replied, walking past the artist and not diverting from his path to his partner's office.

"She's not in there," Angela replied, studying him.

He stopped in his tracks and turned back to where Angela was standing and staring at him,

"Where is she?" he asked.

Angela shrugged.

"I'm not sure," she said. "But I'd try Limbo. That's where she spends most of her time these days. We're going through Civil War soldiers and ancient remains like you wouldn't believe."

"I got a break from the fraud case I've been working on and I thought I'd get her to go to lunch."

"Good luck," the artist replied with a smile.

Booth looked at her with a quizzical expression.

"What? You know how she gets when she locks herself in down there."

_Oh, right. That._

Booth breathed a sigh of relief when he realized Angela wasn't hinting that Bones was mad at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was, and it would be well within her right to be. Any other woman would either be giving him the cold shoulder or would have totally let him have it by now.

Once again, he thanked his lucky star that Bones wasn't just any woman.

Bones was special.

And it was with that thought that he excused himself from Angela's presence and continued to make his way to Deep Bone Storage. He couldn't even bring himself to call it "Limbo" in his head. Bones hated when anyone used that term to describe the area. She found it disrespectful to the souls whose remains were housed there. He had to admit, she was right.

**BnBnBnBnB**

Brennan was focused intently on the remains on her table when she was startled by a soft knock at the door.

"Knock, knock."

She heard the disembodied voice of her partner before he poked his head in the door. She remained still as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

"You ready for lunch?" he asked.

"I can't," she said. "I'm quite busy. I'm sorry I didn't call you. It appears the time got away from me."

"No problem," he said with a false brightness. "But you need to eat, Bones."

"I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself, Booth," she said without looking up. "I've been on my own for quite some time now."

He winced at the implication of her words.

She noticed his reaction and briefly reconsidered her position.

_It's only lunch_, she thought. But she knew that it would be too painful. She couldn't bear a casual business lunch with her partner when she wanted so much more.

"I'm sorry, Booth," she said. "But I've just got too much to do. I'll get something from the cafeteria, I promise."

That was it.

She _was_ mad at him.

Time to turn on the Seeley Booth charm.

"Come on, Bones," he said, with a smile that could melt butter. "I know you. You're not going to eat lunch and you'll stay down here and work through supper, too. As your partner," he said, "I cannot, in good conscience, leave you here to starve."

She smiled, for a moment.

She was tempted to go along with him until he'd said "As your partner." Those words just brought her crashing back to her reality and she was determined to avoid the pain of spending time with her partner outside the confines of a case. She was actually concerned with the idea of spending time with him _within_ the confines of a case.

"Booth," she said, sighing in frustration. "I said I can't."

He hadn't wanted to do this now. He'd hoped to get her alone in some neutral location where he could have her whole attention as he pled his case.

"Look Bones," he said. "I know you're upset with me, and you have every right to be. You were such a great friend and did such a cool thing for me and I haven't even called you since we came back…"

She didn't look at him, but she did set down the bone that she had been examining. He knew he had her attention.

"I have been busy," he said. "I'd forgotten what it was like working with the fraud squad. Believe me, I'd much rather have been sitting on your couch upstairs bugging you instead of chasing down leads with Muncie and Taylor. Those two are like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee."

She smiled.

"I know that one," she said quietly. "_Alice in Wonderland_."

He smiled at her acknowledgement and went on.

"Anyway," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't call and I've missed hanging out with you. I would really like for you to come to lunch with me."

He looked over at her with a look she was unable to resist.

Temperance Brennan was a wise woman. She was a genius. But she couldn't begin to understand the hold that Seeley Booth had over her. She assumed that this is what the proverbial they were referring to when they talked about "love." She had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she loved him… that she was _in love_ with him.

Did being in love make you helpless to resist a charm smile that on anyone else would seem smarmy?

She was beginning to think so… but there was so much she still didn't understand.

It was like someone else was speaking when she heard her own voice agreeing to have lunch with her partner. It was very confusing.

Temperance Brennan hated being confused.


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN- I continue to be humbled by your response… thanks for sticking with me! And please, continue to review. Your thoughts keep me going!**_

_**Big props go out to my pal Ceeray3 (*cough*slavedriver*cough*) for once again holding my hand and reminding me I'm good enough. :-) **_

**BnBnBnBnB**

Chapter 7

**BnBnBnBnB**

Angela leaned against the raised lounge's railing, watching as the partners exited the lab.

"I swear I can't take another five years… wait, no it's six isn't it… oh god… Who am I kidding? I can't take another five minutes."

"Of what?" Cam asked, walking over to join her.

"Them," Angela answered, nodding toward the door that was closing behind Booth and Brennan.

"Do you think they've finally got it this time?" Cam asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Oh no," Angela answered dryly. "They're not even close."

"Did you see the way they were looking at each other?" Cam said. "I don't know…"

"Eye sex does not a relationship make," Angela said. "Trust me, they're nowhere close to figuring it out. In fact, they're colder than the iceberg that hit the _Titanic_."

"Technically, it was the _Titanic_ that hit the iceberg," Vincent Nigel-Murray said from his place on the platform below. "Did you know that of a total of 2,223 people aboard _Titanic_ only 706, less than a third, survived and 1,517 perished. The majority of deaths were caused by hypothermia. The water was negative two degrees, approximately twenty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, where death could be expected in less than 15 minutes…"

"We saw the movie, Vincent," Angela said with a roll of her eyes. She turned her attention back to Cam and moved to the other side of the loft, away from the platform and prying ears. "Seriously, Cam," she went on, walking over to prepare a cup of tea. "I think we may be back to square one."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was," Angela said. "But she actually believes he's really over her. She thinks he has no romantic feelings toward her whatsoever."

"For a genius, she can be awfully clueless sometimes," Cam replied, shaking her head.

"I know, right? Cam, we have to _do_ something."

"We can't Angela," her boss reminded her. "We've got to let them figure it out for themselves."

"Yeah, and that's worked out so well this far…"

"I know," Cam agreed. "But seriously, what _can_ we do?"

"I don't know," Angela said, sipping her tea as she sat down on the sofa. "But there has to be something… it seems what we've got here, is a failure to communicate," she said with a smile.

"Nice one," Cam replied with a smile. "Booth would appreciate the reference."

"Thanks. And of course, Bren wouldn't get it," Angela said. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as if she were deep in thought. "All we have to do is get them talking… so they can see they really are on the same page. For two people who spend so much time in conversation with each other, they never have learned to communicate."

Cam let out a long sigh, picking up her coffee cup from the table.

"You're right about that," she said. "But how do we do that?"

"Divide and conquer," Angela said brightly. "I've already begged Brennan not to do something stupid. You just need to get to Booth and put a bug in his ear. Remind him that Brennan doesn't do subtle."

"I don't know, Angela," Cam hedged. "The last time I tried to give Booth advice about Dr. Brennan, it didn't turn out very well."

Both women looked up at Jack walked up the stairs.

A wide grin spread across Angela's face.

"What's going on?" Hodgins asked before looking over at the women. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the look on his wife's face. "I know that look," he said. "And it never precedes anything good. You're plotting."

"Oh yes," Angela admitted. "We are, but it's for a good cause."

"It always is, Angie," he said, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her. "It always is." He sat down next to her on the sofa. "Lay it on me."

"We need to get Brennan and Booth on the same page," Angela said, succinctly.

"Oh no," Jack replied, shaking his head. "You've got to stay out of this. Now is not the time, Babe. He just proposed to Hannah."

"It's been two weeks," Angela replied, pouting as her husband spared her a scolding look. "Okay, I know the timing isn't ideal, but I can't help that."

"Yes," he said. "You can. Leave them alone, Angie."

"I can't," his wife replied stubbornly. "We're out of time. It's now or never."

"That's a _little_ dramatic," Cam said, smirking behind her coffee mug.

"No, it isn't," Angela insisted. "And it's not just Angela being Angela or the hormones talking. Brennan is considering severing their partnership."

"What?" Cam and Hodgins replied in unison.

That got their attention.

"She thinks he just wants to be friends and partners," Angela told them. "And she'll never admit it, but watching him with Hannah nearly killed her. She's afraid she can't do it again. So, rather than keep working with him and watching from the sidelines as he moves on with someone else, she thinks it would be best to just stop working together."

"Oh, wow," was Cam's only reply.

Hodgins breathed out a long sigh.

"Man, when are those two ever gonna catch a break?" he said.

"Right now," Angela replied. "And we are going to give it to them."

"I'm listening," Jack said.

"I've got my pre-natal yoga class tonight," Angela replied. "So… you could be footloose and fancy free. You're gonna get ahold of Booth and take him out for a guys' night out."

"Okay…"

"You have to get him talking about Brennan," Angela said. "Remind him who she is, fundamentally. Brennan isn't like everyone else. She doesn't always get the implied meaning in things. Remind him that you have to be direct with Brennan. Like I was telling Cam when you came in, Bren doesn't do subtle, and Booth is the king of tap dancing around an issue."

"I can do that," Jack said, grinning as he nodded his head.

**BnBnBnBnB**

It was warm for February, and the partners took advantage by walking to the diner. They walked side by side in silence, each enjoying just being in the other's presence.

Brennan was nervous-again, a feeling that she wasn't used to. It was just lunch with Booth. She'd done it hundreds of times before, and rationally she knew there was no reason to feel nervous. But emotionally, she knew that this was not the same as all those other lunches. For the first time, she felt as though she had to hide her feelings from Booth.

To some extent, she'd been hiding her feelings when Booth was with Hannah but it wasn't the same because she didn't have her partner's attention. He didn't see the emotions she kept hidden just below the surface.

Of course, she wasn't at all certain that she'd have his full attention now. She walked along silently, letting her mind take over for her emotions.

Booth watched his partner as they walked side-by-side. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through her beautiful mind. He could practically see the gears turning. He hoped that she wasn't still angry with him, but he assumed she'd need time to work through what she was feeling.

He would definitely give her that. He would give her anything.

As they approached the front of the diner, he reached around her to open the door.

"Thank you," she said softly, with a smile.

Things began to get more comfortable for both partners when they sat down in "their" seats at "their" table by the window. Both realized the significance of how long it had been since they had been here together, like this-alone.

They gave their orders to the waitress and settled in to an easy conversation. Their old camaraderie was still there, if laced by a little sadness.

Brennan laughed when Booth told her about Hank's latest antics, and she smiled as his face lit up with pride as he filled her in on Parker's success with his hockey team.

Booth thought he was going to bust a gut when she told him about the latest experiment gone wrong that left Hodgins in the dog house and Daisy looking like a smurf for almost a week.

Before they knew it, they had fallen into their old familiar pattern and it felt good.

Despite herself, Brennan let herself get lost in the ease of the conversation.

"You spoiled me, Bones," Booth said, effectively pulling her back from her reverie.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm so used to working with a bunch of geniuses, that I forgot what it was like to work with other agents," he said with a smile.

"Oh," she replied quietly. _That_.

"I swear, I don't know how Muncie and Taylor got through Quantico, much less college. I feel like I have to hold their hands and lead them to every conclusion. Hell, I'm exhausted and it's only been a couple of days…"

As the conversation veered back to work, Brennan felt the familiar unease wash over her.

"… I hate to say it," he went on. "But I what I wouldn't give for a nice, juicy murder…"

"Booth," she said.

"I know, I know," he replied. "It's not like I'm hoping for someone to get killed. I mean, let's face it… by the time we get 'em, they've already been dead for a while, right? I'm sure our next victim is already long on his way to the hereafter by now."

"Although you know I don't believe that there is a hereafter," she said. "I accept the logic of your statement. Still, it isn't right to wish for someone to be murdered."

"I didn't wish for someone to be murdered, Bones," he said, looking around as he realized their conversation was attracting attention. He leaned in over the table and lowered his voice. "I just pointed out that if someone were to discover the body of someone who has _already_ been murdered… oh, never mind. We're not going to get anywhere with this."

Sensing his frustration, she sat back a little in her chair.

He noticed her reaction, and sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry, Bones," he said. "I didn't mean…"

_When did talking to her become so hard?_

He raised his eyes and looked across the table. He looked into her gorgeous blue eyes and really saw her for the first time in a long time. There was a sadness in her eyes that he hadn't noticed before, and he realized-not for the first time-that he really had let her down since he'd come back from Afghanistan. He had a lot to make up for. But he was ready for that. He only hoped she would let him do just that.

"No," she said. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to criticize you…"

"I know, Bones," he said flashing a bright smile. "You're right, I'm not gonna wish for someone to get killed. Except for a cow…" he added with a wink and turned toward the counter. "Hey Sally, where's my burger?"

"Coming right up, honey," the waitress called back to him. "Keep your shirt on!"

Booth laughed.

Brennan's brow furrowed, perhaps a little more than necessary.

"Why would you disrobe here in the diner?" she asked.

"Huh? Uh, I wouldn't. What are you talking about?"

"Why did Sally tell you to keep your shirt on?"

Booth laughed again, and she found that the sound made her feel warm inside.

"It's just an expression, Bones," he said. He'd always had a suspicion that she was more aware of jargon than she let on. And it made him feel good to think that what she was doing now was trying to make things more "normal" between them. "It means she thinks I'm being impatient."

"Why would being impatient to receive your lunch cause you take off your clothes?"

Booth smiled and shook his head when he noticed the sly but shy smile on her face. She knew exactly what she was doing. Was she _flirting_ with him?

For her part, Brennan realized that she needed to change the subject. Thinking about him taking his clothes off was treading into dangerous territory.

"Do you think you'll be able to wrap the fraud case soon?" she asked.

Again, he shook his head.

"I don't know," he replied. "If we don't get something concrete pretty soon, I think Hacker will probably assign another Fraud Squad team to the case. Either way, I doubt I'll be on it after the end of the week."

"That's good. At least you'll be able to relax. You've got Parker this weekend, right?" she asked, taking a sip of her iced tea.

"Yeah," he told her, smiling as he thought of his son. "I'm not sure what we're going to do. He's been wanting to hit the rink to practice shots on goal, so we might do that but I haven't really made any plans."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy your time with him," she offered. "There is a new aerospace exhibit opening at the museum this weekend," she told him. "I think Parker would really enjoy it. You would probably like it, too."

"Cool," he replied, nodding at the waitress as she set the their plates down on the table.

"Thanks, Sal," he said.

"You got it," the waitress replied with a wink.

He turned his attention back to his partner.

"That sounds good, Bones," he said. "Maybe we'll check it out, thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied. "I know how important your time with Parker is. You want him to have fun, but also find things that enrich him…"

She paused, causing him to look up and see a faraway look in her eyes.

"What is it, Bones?"

"You're a good father, Booth," she said, wistfully.

"Thanks, Bones," he said, looking back down at his plate. Compliments from her always hit him somewhere deep in his gut.

For the next long while they ate in a companionable silence, each finding comfort in slipping back into their old ways.

Neither noticed the bell ring as the front door opened, but neither could miss the striking redhead who made her way into the diner. She seemed to notice Booth and walked toward the table.

"Booth," she said her voice low and sultry. "It's been a long time."

"Liza," he said, nodding his head in acknowledgment. "How are things in Missing Persons?"

"Not as exciting as Major Crimes," she replied, with a smile as she licked her lips.

Brennan sat back and watched the exchange. The woman was undoubtedly beautiful, and she reminded her of Peyton Perotta in the way she interacted with Booth. She began to wonder if flirting was a required technique taught to the female agents at Quantico.

The two agents spoke for a few minutes, and the other woman never acknowledged Brennan's existence.

"Agent Turner," a waitress called from the counter, "your order is ready."

"Thanks," the redhead drawled without taking her eyes off Booth. "You know," she said, her voice seeming to drop another octave, "If you ever need help on a case… or anything else…"

"I have your number," Booth said, completing the thought and hoping the woman would go away. He wanted to enjoy his lunch with his partner and the other agent had rudely interrupted them. It didn't escape his notice that she completely ignored Bones, but he didn't want to prolong the conversation by pointing it out and introducing her.

He watched as she walked away, smiling when he was sure she wasn't coming back. Turner had a reputation at the Bureau, and it wasn't only because she was a damned good agent.

Brennan observed her partner smiling as he watched the other woman walk away from the table. Agent Turner didn't seem to be his usual type, but then again, she had to admit to not knowing him as well as she once had. This brought all of her fears streaming back to the forefront. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. She took out her wallet as his gaze remained on the other woman.

Booth started to express his relief that Turner had gone when he was interrupted by his partner jumping up from her seat. She dropped a few bills on the table.

"I have to go," she said abruptly. "And I think it would be best that we no longer work together. I can have Cam assign Dr. Edison to your cases, or if you'd like to request a new agent assigned to the Jeffersonian, that would work as well…"

Booth sat with his mouth agape as she stumbled over her words. He didn't have a clue in hell of what had just happened, but this certainly wasn't the way he'd expected the lunch to go.

He could only stare as the retreating back of his partner moved out the front door.


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN- I hope you don't hate me too much! I never really planned on a "cliffie," but I'll admit I DID enjoy the drama of the last chapter's ending! :-) Hopefully, the quick update will make up for it. And of course, as always… please review. I'm especially anxious to know what you think of this chapter! **_

**BnBnBnBnB**

Chapter 8

**BnBnBnBnB**

_"I have to go," she said abruptly. "And I think it would be best that we no longer work together. I can have Cam assign Dr. Edison to your cases, or if you'd like to request a new agent assigned to the Jeffersonian, that would work as well…"_

_Booth sat with his mouth agape as she stumbled over her words. He didn't have a clue in hell of what had just happened, but this certainly wasn't the way he'd expected the lunch to go._

_He could only stare as the retreating back of his partner moved out the front door. _

It took Booth only a few seconds to regain his senses. He stood up and raced out the door. He watched Brennan move away from him with long, quick strides.

"Bones!" he called out to her. He moved more quickly down the street as she ignored him. "Bones," he called again. "Wait!"

He met up with her just before she reached the corner. He reached out and caught her by the elbow.

"Bones!" he said sternly, forcing her to stop and give him her attention although she didn't turn to face him. "Will you look at me, please?" he asked, his voice much softer.

Slowly, she turned to face him and he was shocked to see her tear-stained face.

He took in a deep breath. In a matter of minutes, he'd gone from happiness to confusion to fear to utter heartbreak and back to confusion.

"Bones," he said again, reaching out to cup her cheek. "God, Bones, talk to me," he said, choking up as he felt tears coming to his own eyes. "What the hell just happened?"

She shook her head, sniffing back tears.

"I can't do this, Booth," she said.

Still lost, now it was Booth shaking his head as he spoke. "Do what, Bones?" he asked quietly. "I don't understand."

"This, Booth…" she cried, frustrated. "This! All of it!"

She pulled away from him and took off down the street. Hot on her heels, it didn't take long to catch up with her at the entrance to the park on the edge of the Jeffersonian gardens. He led her toward a bench and was surprised when she willingly sat down.

"Bones," he pleaded, "I honestly have no idea what's going on here, but I can tell you that we are not ending our partnership. You need to fill me in so we can fix this… but I'll tell you again, I'm not going anywhere."

"Maybe that's the problem," she said quietly.

Her words pierced his heart, and he felt his throat constricting as he tried to reply.

"You… you want me to leave?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "No," she said more quietly, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know. Damn you and your open heart. Why did you have to do this to me? Why did I let you in and let you force me to open my heart back up? I _knew_ better! Emotionality only causes pain."

"Bones," he said, his heart breaking for her obvious pain though he still couldn't understand where it was coming from. "I would never hurt you…"

"Yes," she said quietly. "You would. Maybe not intentionally, but you would. You do. People think I'm cold and emotionless, that nothing affects me… but they're wrong! Booth, you're wrong." Finally, she turned to face him… needing him to really hear what she was about to say. "Booth, it nearly killed me watching you with Hannah. I didn't understand it at the time but the pain in my chest was very real. Every time I saw you together. Every time she came to me for advice, knowing that she could never know you the way I do. Watching you get so much pleasure from a gift that should have come from me. Every time you kissed her, or held her, or so casually told her you loved her…"

She took a moment to compose herself. She took a deep breath and swallowed the metaphorical lump in her throat that felt very real. She couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face, but she steeled her resolve to not let them get in the way of what she had to say. She hadn't realized until this moment, when he'd sat her down on this bench, how much she really did need to say these things to him. No longer was she going to run away from her feelings… this is what she'd learned from Lauren Eames. This was what she meant by "no regrets." Walking away from Booth would hurt like hell, but she knew now what she had to do… and walking away with her head held high was far superior to running away to lick her wounds. She turned her attention back to his face and she could still see confusion written on his features, but there was something else. The twinkle in his eyes had been replaced by a sheen of fear and sadness.

"Booth," she said, taking both his hands in hers. "I can't go through that again. I can't sit by and be your friend and your partner and watch you fall in love with someone else. I'm simply not strong enough. I know now that love exists… and I while I also have proof that I was right and it is ephemeral, that doesn't change the depth to which it can reach. And my love for you is as deep as anything that I've ever felt, so I know it's going to take some time to allow it to fade, to move on, as you said… and the only way I can do that is by not watching _you_ move on."

Booth shook his head, hoping to make things fall into place. Nothing that he just heard made any sense.

Did she just say that she loved him deeper than she'd ever loved anyone, but she wanted … no, she needed… to make that feeling go away? How could she know how he felt about her and still think that love was ephemeral? God, he hated that word. Wait. That's it. She doesn't know how he feels about her.

Damn his stupid timeline.

Damn their role reversal.

Here he was trying to be rational, while she sat there with her heart on her sleeve. He would have laughed if the situation weren't so desperate. He sat quietly, trying to compose himself before he responded. He wasn't sure that they were really ready for this discussion, and he wasn't sure that now was the right time. But he understood enough to know that he was only going to get one chance to do this right, and it was now or never. If he didn't get through to her right this minute, things between them would be changed forever … and not in the way that he had hoped for.

"Bones," he said, looking down into her beautiful tear-stained face. He reached out to wipe the tears away. "What I'm about to say may be the most important things I've ever said in my life… and I'm gonna stumble through it and pray to God I get it right, but I need to you promise me you'll listen… that you'll let me get through it and try to really hear what it is that I'm saying. Will you do that for me?"

She nodded.

"Okay," he said. "First of all, I need you to understand one thing. True love is not ephemeral. .."

He saw the confusion in her eyes and he knew that she wanted to protest. He loved her even more for saying nothing.

"I know," he said simply. "But trust me, it isn't. There are different kinds of love… some of them fade, some of them never do. Remember during the sister-wives case when I told you that you can love a lot of people in this life, but there's only one that you love the most?"

Again, she nodded as he cupped her cheeks in his hands, making sure she was looking into his eyes.

"That is true love, Bones. That one person that you love the most… that is the one that you'll love forever. And for me, that one person is you, Temperance Brennan. There has never been any question about that… not if I'm being honest."

He leaned down and placed the softest kiss against her forehead.

"Bones, when I said I knew and that I would love you for thirty, or forty or fifty years, I meant that. And I knew that you were the only person for whom I could ever feel that way. But when you rejected me…"

"… I didn't reject you, Booth," she said quietly. "I only said that I couldn't change. I was afraid. I was still struggling with believing in love, and I didn't understand the depth of it. I was afraid that I couldn't ever be enough for you and that eventually you would leave… just like everyone else."

He shook his head.

"But don't you see," he said. "I couldn't. I could never leave you."

"But don't _you_ see?" she replied. "You _did_. Not five minutes after you said you'd love me for fifty years, you said you had to move on. What was I supposed to think? The evidence overwhelmingly stated that love did _not_ last fifty years."

He winced at her words and he wanted to kick himself.

"And then when we took our sabbaticals," she went on. "I went, looking for clarity and hoping I could begin to understand what I was feeling. Five months into our time apart, you fell in love with someone else…"

She took a deep breath.

"…While I was in Maluku, I had some time to think. And I realized that the only way I was going to truly understand these feelings was to explore them… with you. You've always been the only one who could help me make sense of things like this. When I got home, I was excited to tell you that I was ready for such exploration… and then you told me about Hannah. And once again, I realized that I had been right the first time and that love must really be ephemeral. How could you love me for fifty years and love Hannah at the same time? That isn't the way love works, at least not the way that you explained it to me…"

"No," he said, interrupting. "You're right. That's not the way love works, at least not the way you're thinking. When I met Hannah, I was at one of the lowest points in my life. She filled a void and made me feel better. At first it was fun, and it was a great distraction… and eventually, I let myself believe that I could love her. And I did. I loved her, but not the way I loved…love… you. There _are_ different kinds of love, Bones. And by the time the Eames case came around and you told me how you were really feeling, I thought that I had to do the honorable thing and stick with Hannah. You can't know how amazed and thrilled I was to know how you felt about me… but like you said, I thought we'd missed our chance."

"Didn't we?" she asked with so much vulnerability that he felt his heart crumble just a little.

He shook his head.

"No," he said. "We didn't. We might have… if Hannah had said 'yes.' But she didn't… and because I still believe in Fate, I know that she turned me down because that was how it was meant to be. Bones," he said, smiling through his own tears. "That night in that pool hall so long ago that was laced with kisses and tequila, that wasn't our moment. And that night outside the Hoover building that was laced with fear and longing, that wasn't our moment… Baby, _this_… this is our moment. And we're right here where we're supposed to be."

"This is our moment?" she asked, almost reverently. "We haven't missed it?"

He nodded.

"This is it," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her. As his lips brushed against hers, and her tears mingled with his, they could each feel the other smiling into the kiss and they began to laugh. Behind the laughter and the tears, the couple enjoyed the sweetest kiss of their lives…knowing it was the first of many, their first real kiss as a couple.

When they finally parted, he leaned back down touching their foreheads together and cupping her neck in his hands. Unable to resist, he dropped another quick kiss on her lips before speaking.

"So," he said, "now would you care to tell me what the hell happened back there? What had you run out like a bat out of hell and cause me to abandon a perfectly good cheeseburger?" he added with a smile.

She nodded, knowing that this was only the beginning. Taking advantage of this moment was only the first step, and it wasn't going to solve all their problems. She still needed him to help her navigate the emotional waters.

"I've been confused," she admitted.

He considered making a joke about the brilliant Temperance Brennan being confused, but he thought better of it. Making that admission was a big thing for her. So, instead, he encouraged her to continue.

"About?"

"You," she answered. "Us… everything. When we were in Florida," she said. "Everything was going so well. I hadn't intended the trip to be a romantic one, I really just wanted to be your friend and help you through a hard time… but when you said it felt like a date, that felt really good," she said, smiling at him. "I actually felt my heart rate increase. Rationally, I knew it was too soon after your break up for you to think about another romantic relationship… but I have to admit, I was intrigued by the idea. But then, almost as soon as you said it, things changed again. The feeling was similar to _that_ night… one minute you knew and the next you were gone, again…"

Booth just sat back and listened. He took her hand and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of it, encouraging her to go on.

"And then I when didn't hear from you when we came back to DC," she paused again, this time looking away from him. "I thought you'd decided that you only wanted to be friends and partners and you were trying to create a distance between us."

"Oh, Bones," he said. "Baby, I'm so sorry… you're right, I was," he said, pausing as he saw the pain in her eyes. She tried to retract her hand from his grip, but he wouldn't let her. "You're right about what I was doing, but not about my intention," he corrected. "I knew when we were down in Florida that you were the only woman I'd ever want and that there was never going to be another relationship in my life but this one… but I felt like it was too soon. I thought that I owed it to both you and Hannah, and to myself , to give that relationship the respect it deserved and let some time pass before I began to pursue a romantic relationship with you."

She nodded, seeming to understand.

"Make no mistake about it, Bones," he said. "I love you, Temperance Brennan… and only you."

"I… I love you, too," she said quietly as once again their forehead met gently.

He leaned in and placed a sweet, gentle kiss against her lips.

"We've got so much more to talk about," he said. "But first, can we get back to lunch?" he added with a wink and a smile. "I'm starving."

Smiling through her now happy tears, Brennan agreed and they walked hand in hand back toward the diner.


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN- WOW! I am blown away by the response to the last chapter, you guys are amazing! I so appreciate all the reviews, especially those with details and what I'm not getting right. :-) I hope this one isn't too much of a let down after the emotional high of the last chapter. **_

_**Just wanted to say that many of you know that I pride myself on the details in my stories. I do tons of research so that things like addresses, stores, restaurants and even menus always line up with accuracy. That being said, I'm asking you to suspend disbelief for this chapter- and we're going to pretend that the Jeffersonian, the Diner, the National Mall and maybe even the Hoover are all within walking distance of each other. :-) **_

_**Now… on with the "show"! There's not a whole lot of "Propulsion" just yet, but we're getting there. Please review… and thanks for sticking with me!**_

_**Oh, and if there are mistakes or you hate it… I'll just blame it on rushing out to meet Ceeray3 for dinner! **_

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Chapter 9

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Walking back down the block toward the diner, Booth thought about their abrupt departure from the restaurant. That, along with the attention that their earlier conversation had drawn made him realize that the likelihood of them having a private conversation was pretty slim.

"Why don't we take a walk along the Mall?" he suggested.

"That sounds nice," Brennan agreed.

They stopped by the coffee cart for coffee and pastries. The unseasonably warm weather brought out a considerable lunchtime crowd to the landmark area, and so they walked around until they found a quiet bench near the Lincoln Memorial. They sat down side-by-side, the earlier tension having dissipated into a more comfortable silence. Both knew they had much to discuss, but they also knew there would be time to get to all of it.

Right now, Booth was still confused by Brennan's hasty departure from the diner. After a few minutes of silence, he set his cinnamon bun down on the bench beside him and reached for her hand.

"So," he said. "Are you ready to tell me what happened back there? I mean, I get what was going on in the back of your gorgeous mind, but what caused you to run out of there like that?"

"Agent Turner," she said, her eyes focused on her lap.

Booth was shocked to say the least. He hadn't expected the other woman to have been the catalyst for his partner's actions. Once Turner stepped away from their table, he hadn't given her a second thought.

"What?" he asked, his surprise evident. "Why?"

Brennan let out a long sigh.

"Remember that at the time, I was sure you only wanted a professional relationship with me," she said. "And I assumed that with Hannah gone, soon you would be looking for someone with whom you could move on…"

"Incorrect," he said with a smile, "but understandable. Go on."

Brennan bit her bottom lip as she felt heat rising to her cheeks.

"You were flirting with her," she said simply.

"I was not," he said.

"You were smiling at her," Brennan said, practically pouting.

He smiled. Though he hated the idea of hurting her, even unintentionally, he was loving the idea of her being a little jealous.

"I'm a polite guy, Bones," he said. "I smile a lot."

She rolled her eyes.

"_I've got your number_," she repeated, surprising him with the sarcasm in her tone.

He could hear that the sarcasm was masking hurt and fear. He reached up and placed his forefinger under her chin.

"I want you to listen to me," he said. "I wasn't flirting with Liza Turner."

She gave him a look that he thought said, 'yeah, right.'

"Really," he insisted. "I wasn't. We still have a lot to talk about," he went on. "I know we've got a lot to catch up on," he said. "And I know I've been a real jackass lately, but if you really think I would be interested in Liza Turner, we've got a lot more work to do than I thought. You know me better than that, Bones."

"Do I?" she asked softly. "I thought I did, but sometimes I'm not quite certain."

"You know me better than anyone," he assured her. "Probably better than I know myself. The problem is that lately, I haven't _been_ myself and ended up confusing us all. I'm sorry, Bones."

"Booth, stop apologizing," she said. "If I've learned anything at all from all of this is that there is no room in life for regrets. The past is the past. What's done is done. You said that this was our moment. From where I sit, it seems that we've been given a gift. What matters now is what we do with it."

He sat back, floored again by the depth of her thoughts and feelings. She really had come a long way. He was sorry that he hadn't been around to witness the transformation.

_You were around_, he reminded himself. _You just had your head up your ass_.

"Okay," he said. "You're right. No regrets."

He stopped for a moment, formulating what he wanted to say next. In the still of the moment, he heard church bells in the distance and looked down at his watch.

"Damn," he muttered.

"What?" she asked.

"It's almost two o'clock," he answered. "As much as I want this to continue, I've got to get back to work."

"I need to get back as well," she said, and he was sure he could hear reluctance in her voice. "I left Mr. Nigel-Murray working unsupervised with my Native American remains from bone storage. I really do need to check on his progress."

"I'm not ready to let you go," he said quietly.

"I know," she said. "I find myself strangely distressed about parting, also."

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"We still have so much to talk about," he said, "Dinner?"

"Yes," she answered with a nod, "but I think I'd rather stay in. My place?"

"Sounds great," he replied, smiling. "I'll bring take-out.

"Good," she said. "Would you be terribly upset if I asked you to let me walk back to the museum on my own?"

"Not terribly," he said, "but I would like to walk with you."

"I know," she told him. "But I think that I would like to use the solitude to compose my thoughts before I go back to work."

"Okay," he said. "I can give you that."

They stood up, holding hands as they turned to walk away in separate directions. As he stepped away from her, their hands dropped.

"I'll see you tonight, Bones," he said, turning to look at her.

"Tonight," she replied.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Special Agent Seeley Booth sat at his desk, using every skill he had to make himself focus on the work at hand and not the evening ahead. He was going over the reports that Muncie had prepared for the fraud case, and he was determined to get through the dry material and get finished so that he could leave the office at a reasonable hour.

He tried to keep his attention on the work, but he kept finding his focus turning to his partner. They had taken a huge step this afternoon, but it was just that. A step. They were at the beginning of a very long journey. He could only take heart in the fact that they were at least in the same place and taking the trip together… side-by-side. Admitting their feelings felt amazing and he was looking forward to building on that. But before they could go forward, he knew they would have to go back. They needed to work on the damage done to their friendship and partnership before they could have any kind of romantic relationship. He truly believed that this would be the last relationship of his life. Bones was _the one_. He knew that for this relationship to have any chance of lasting for the long haul, the foundation had to be solid… and right now, it was still a little shaky.

He forced himself back to the task at hand and continued to review Muncie's report. After a few minutes, he was engrossed in the information and making notes on the leads he would suggest the other agents run down.

He groaned as his cell phone rang. As much as would normally welcome an interruption to such a mundane task, he really wanted to get this out of the way. He looked down and noticed the caller ID and was intrigued. He hit the button to accept the call and put the phone to his ear.

"Booth."

"Hey G-Man," the man on the other end replied.

"Hodgins," Booth answered. "What can I do for you?"

Booth wondered what the entomologist could be calling about. He didn't have a case with the Jeffersonian and frankly, he hadn't really been involved with the squints on a social basis for quite a long time.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor, man," Hodgins replied. "Angie's going to her baby mama yoga class tonight and I've got nothing to do. I thought maybe you might want to get together for drinks or something after work. You know… a guys night?"

So that was it. Angela probably put him up to this. It was just like her to be worried about him after his break-up with Hannah, even though he'd treated them all terribly for months.

"Man, Hodgins," he said. "That sounds great, and I wish I could. But I've got something I have to do tonight. Maybe Wendell is free," he offered. "I'd love to get together, though. Another time."

"Aw, come on, man," Hodgins said, practically whining.

Booth was sure the other man was thinking about how he was going to get it from his wife if he didn't follow through on his assignment. He felt for the bug man, but he was looking forward to spending his evening with a certain forensic anthropologist… and he had no intention of changing those plans for anyone.

"It's been a long time since we went out," Hodgins went on.

"It has," Booth agreed. "And it's gonna be a little longer. Sorry man, but I've got plans I can't get out of. We'll get together soon," he offered. "Maybe this weekend."

"But…"

"Not this time," Booth said with a grin. "Sorry Hodgins, but I gotta go."

He hung up the phone before the other man could protest. He felt sorry for the beating Hodgins was going to take from Angela, but not sorry enough to change his plans.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"Hey Bren," Angela called out as she saw her friend leaving her office. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"What?" Brennan asked, obviously distracted. "I'm not in a hurry."

Angela laughed.

"I know, sweetie," she said. "I just meant that it's barely five thirty and it looks like you're headed out for the day. That's unusual."

"Oh, well," Brennan replied, stumbling for a cover story. "Mr. Nigel-Murray and I finished the identification on the case we were working on, and it is the end of the regular workday so I didn't see the need to begin a new case tonight."

"Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

"I'm still me, Angela," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

"So, since you're heading out," the artist said, "wanna come with me to my pre-natal yoga class?"

"I'm not pregnant, Angela," Brennan replied.

"I know that, sweetie," Angela answered. "There are a lot of people in the class who aren't pregnant. Women travel in pairs, you know," she added with a smile.

"I don't know what that means," Brennan replied, perplexed.

"Never mind," Angela said with a smile. "There are even some dads in the class, but I haven't been able to convince Hodgins to go with me."

"I would like to, Angela," Brennan told her friend. "But I'm over the wire on the deadline for getting the revisions from my last chapter to my editor. I was planning to work on that this evening."

"It's _under_ the wire, Bren," Angela said with a smile. "And I get it. Go. Happy writing," she added, waving as her friend moved away from her office.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth felt a flutter in the pit of his stomach as he rode the elevator up to Brennan's floor. It surprised him that he was nervous, but it _had_ been a long time since he'd been to her apartment. Too long, he realized. He wanted to make this evening as "normal" as possible… whatever that meant. So, he'd stopped off at Wong Fu's on his way over and Sid had loaded him down with all their favorites.

He hoped a good meal would bring back the familiar and set them on the right track.

He stopped outside her door and took a deep breath.

_Get a grip, Seel. _

This was _Bones_… dinner with Bones. He'd done it thousands of times before. There was no reason to be nervous. No reason except that this was literally the first day of the rest of his life… their life.

It was all he could do to not get ahead of himself. Tonight was about beginning.

Beginning to repair the friendship that had been the center of his life for so long.

Beginning to regain her trust and to have her regain his.

Beginning to put the last year behind them.

Beginning to prepare for a future that was so sure and still uncertain at the same time.

He raised his fist and rapped solidly on the door three times.

The door opened and he stood stock still for a moment.

"Are you going to come in?" she asked, a nervous smile gracing her face.

"Yeah," he said, shaking himself out of his momentary stupor. "Thanks."

As he walked past her into the apartment, he leaned down and awkwardly kissed her cheek. She reciprocated just as clumsily.

"I brought dinner," he said, holding up the bag.

"Wong Fu's?" she asked as he nodded in reply. A warm smile spread over her face. "I've missed that. I wonder what Sid has prepared for us tonight?"

"I don't know," he said, setting the bag down on her kitchen island. "Let's find out," he added with a smile as he began unloading the bag. "You get the plates and I'll start checking the containers."

He laid out an eclectic spread and they heartily dug in, each filling their own plates.

"Wine?" she asked, as she filled her glass. "Or would you prefer a beer?"

"Beer sounds great," he said, hoping she'd have a decent brand and not that imported crap she preferred.

He smiled widely as she turned from the 'fridge and offered him a cold bottle of Yeungling. He was used to the fact that she was always full of surprises, but he didn't know why it surprised him so much that she had his favorite beer in the refrigerator. A year ago, it wouldn't have been surprising at all.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

They spent and enjoyable meal, keeping the conversation light. Just as they had at lunch, they talked about the food, work, and Parker, Max and Hank.

After they'd finished eating, they worked side-by-side to right her kitchen. They cleared their plates and the takeout containers from the island. She washed the dishes while he dried them and put them away, heartened by the fact that he still remembered where everything went.

Once the dishes were done, an uncomfortable silence fell between the partners. They had come to the part of the evening that they both had been excited for and dreading. They knew that they had to talk about what was happening between them, but neither knew just how to start the conversation.

"Let's go sit," Booth said gently, reaching out to take her hand.

She accepted and placed her hand in his as they walked into the living room. He sat down on the sofa and she sat beside him, close enough for their knees to touch and their entwined fingers rested between them.

"You know you're my best friend, Bones," he said quietly, rubbing his hand over the smaller one he held in his other. "I kind of lost sight of that for a while," he said. "And I'm sorry."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No regrets, remember?"

"For the most part, I agree," he said, letting out a long sigh. "But I hurt you, and I do regret that. I hate to see you in pain."

"And I feel the same way about you," she said. "We've both done things we're not proud of… but that's what's brought us here, right?"

"Fate is what brought us here, Bones," he said, bringing their joined hands to his lips and placing a soft kiss against her knuckles.

"You know I don't believe in Fate, Booth," she told him. "Newton's Third Law of physics states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Everything we do leads us somewhere, Booth. It wasn't Fate that brought us here, it was us."

"You're right," he said, conceding her point. They had absolutely brought themselves to this moment in time, although he knew that their actions had been guided by the hand of Fate.

"So, where do we go from here?" she asked, tentatively. Although she was sure that she wanted Booth in her life and in more than a "partnerly" way, she was willing to accede to his expertise in these matters.

"I think it's back to basics," he replied, and waited for her reply. When she didn't say anything, just looked at him with those gorgeous blue eyes so full of love and trust, he went on. "Trust. We need to rebuild the trust between us. That's the basis of our partnership and our friendship and we have to make sure that those are both as solid as they can be before we can even think about moving on to something more."

"I hate that phrase," she mumbled uncharacteristically under her breath.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said I hate that phrase," she replied, her slightly petulant tone causing him to smile. "If I never hear the words 'moving on' come from your mouth again, I can die happy."

"Wow, Bones," he said, with a chuckle. "Tell me how you really feel."

"I just did, Booth," she said, not understanding why he would ask her to repeat herself.

"I know, Bones," he said. "I know. And you're right. I hate it, too. No more moving on… we're only moving forward-together."

"Together," she repeated. "I like the sound of that."


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN- Just a quick note to remind you that I said this is going to progress **_**really **_**slowly, LOL… and thank you again for hanging in there. Looking forward to your comments!**_

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The Propulsion in the Parting

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Chapter 10

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Booth came charging in to the lab early on Monday morning.

"Come on, Bones!" he called out. "We've got a case. Get your gear…"

Brennan was sitting at her desk when she heard her partner calling from outside in the lab. She looked up as he walked into her office.

"Chop, chop," he said, clapping his hands with a smile on his face. "Let's go."

She laughed quietly.

"I'm coming," she said. "Just let me close down this file. What has you so happy this morning?"

"What?" he replied. "A guy can't be in a good mood when he comes to work in the morning?"

"No," she said, shaking her head with a smile. "It's perfectly acceptable to be happy to come to work. I find it to be an admirable quality, as a matter of fact. But _you_ typically are not really a morning person…particularly on a Monday morning after you've had Parker for the weekend."

He leaned against the door jamb, watching as she gathered his gear. He loved how well she knew him.

"You're right," he said, sending a meaningful glance her way. "But I guess a lot of things are changing for me. I happen to enjoy my work, particularly when the opportunity to spend the day with my beautiful partner presents itself."

"Booth," she admonished.

"What?" he asked, helping her into her jacket.

"We talked about this," she told him. "We are friends… and colleagues. And although we may be working toward more, calling me _beautiful_ is not workplace appropriate."

He leaned in so that he was whispering in her ear and his warm breath against her neck caused her to shiver.

"But you _are_ beautiful, Bones," he said.

"Thank you," she said, graciously accepting the compliment. "But you wouldn't have said that to me before, and certainly not in the lab. You're the one who said that if we are to pursue a personal relationship, we need to maintain that line of professional decorum. I'm just following your directive, Agent Booth."

He couldn't resist the urge to laugh out loud when he caught her coquettish smile. He was really going to love getting to know the flirty side of Temperance Brennan.

**BnBnBnBnB**

Once they were both situated in the SUV, Booth reached over to take Brennan's hand. Although they weren't officially in a relationship, they were absolutely headed in that direction and he was enjoying the ability to be more tactile with her. Just the simple act of being able to hold her hand was an amazing feeling.

Although they were technically "on the clock," when they were alone in the truck she didn't see a problem with showing a little affection. Brennan had never been a very tactile person. She'd never really hugged anyone outside her family until she and Angela became close, and she'd never been overly demonstrative with any of her lovers outside the bedroom… but with Booth, everything was different. She readily allowed him to entwine his fingers with hers as he pulled the SUV out on to the road.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Fairfax, Virginia," he answered. "Somebody found a body in a dumpster out behind a Wal-Mart."

He briefed her on the little bit of information he had been given regarding the body and the way that it had been found. Based on the preliminary investigation by the local police department, it seemed like they were going to have their work cut out for them.

There wasn't much they could discuss about the case until they reached the crime scene and so, much of the conversation during the forty minute drive turned to the personal.

Since they had decided to move forward in their relationship, they had had gone back to spending much of their free time together. They'd had both lunch and dinner together on Thursday and Friday. They hadn't seen each other over the weekend because Booth had Parker, but they had spoken briefly on the phone each day.

"How did Parker enjoy the skating rink yesterday?" she asked.

"Oh, he loved it," Booth replied with a proud grin. "He's getting really good. I wouldn't be surprised if he's on the starting team soon…which reminds me… he's got a game this Wednesday night. Wanna come?"

"I don't know, Booth…" she replied hesitantly.

They had decided to keep their relationship from Parker for the time being. It had been confusing for him when Hannah moved in with Booth. And Hannah had been gone such a short time that they didn't want to do anything that might cause any undue stress on the boy. He was such an integral part of Booth's life, and ultimately he would be a big part of their life together but they had decided to take things slow and with Parker they knew they had to go even more slowly.

"Come on, Bones," he said, flashing her a grin. "It'll be fun."

"I'm sure it would," she replied. She had attended several of Parker's games over the years; baseball, soccer, hockey. But she kept thinking about the agreement they'd made regarding the boy only few days before. "But I thought we were limiting my involvement with Parker for the time being."

"We don't have to tell him we're dating," he said.

"We're not," she said, interrupting to correct him.

"Yet," he conceded. "But he's used to having you around, and he's missed you…"

He let the thought trail off, thinking once again about how badly he'd screwed up. The distance he'd created between him and the squints when he was with Hannah had impacted his son more than he'd realized. Rebecca had still been taking their son to the afterschool program at the museum and so he'd been spending time with Max, but Brennan had purposely made herself scarce.

She'd missed the little boy terribly, but that had only made her realize that she loved him nearly as much as she loved his father. It would have done none of them any good to perpetuate that relationship, so she'd stayed away when she knew Parker was in the lab.

"I've missed him," she said wistfully.

"That settles it," he said, leaving no room for argument. "You're coming. Becca's bring Parker, I was going to meet them there. We'll have an early dinner after work and then head over to the rink."

"Booth," she protested.

"It's okay, Bones," he said, glancing in her direction as he brought her hand to his lips. "We're doing everything right this time. You're my friend and my son adores you… he's missed you and he'll be thrilled for you to be at his game. It doesn't have to be any more than that."

"Okay," she finally said, with the bright smile that made Booth's heart melt. If she were being honest, she loved the idea of spending time with Booth and Parker, but she was conscious of their earlier decision, and she wanted be sure to do everything right. So much was riding on the way that she and Booth handled themselves right now, and she was terrified of messing it up.

**BnBnBnBnB**

They arrived at the crime scene, and Booth sought out the lead investigator from the local PD. He introduced himself and his partner and she went right to work with the FBI forensics team that had already arrived.

The remains were in the late stages of decomp, and Booth could easily see why the locals had called in the big guns. This case was definitely going to require his partner's expertise.

The extrication of the remains took quite a long time, but once that was done Brennan made short work of identifying that their victim was a female in her mid-twenties, likely of Eastern European descent. Since Hodgins hadn't come with them to comb the dumpster for particulates, Booth ordered the team to send the whole thing back to the Jeffersonian.

"Why does she even bother coming out to crime scenes if we're just gonna send everything back to her lab?" Booth heard one of the technicians grumbling.

His first instinct was to put the guy in his place, but thought better of it. He decided it was better to ignore that kind of talk rather than to cause a scene. Brennan's method did sometimes make some extra work for the techs, but it always produced results, and in the end that was the most important thing.

He walked over to where his partner was supervising the loading of the remains into an FBI van.

"Anything more you need to do here?" he asked as he stepped up next to her.

"No," she answered. "As soon as I'm certain they've secured the remains for transport, I think we'll be ready to go. I can't really do anything else until we get everything back to the lab."

He waited for her to change out of her jumpsuit and then they headed back to the Sequoia for the trip back to DC.

**BnBnBnBnB**

The drive back to the museum was a bit different than the earlier trip. Conversation was limited to talk of the case at hand.

Brennan was going over her case notes and the photos that had been taken by the crime scene investigators. She was focused intently on her laptop as Booth drove them back toward DC. Occasionally Booth would look over in her direction, and his heart swelled.

As much as he agreed that they had to remain professional on the job, he couldn't ignore the fact that seeing her like this always got to him. He had always been amazed by her dedication to their work and to finding justice for their victims. It was just one of the many things that he loved about her. Of course, his feelings weren't always so noble. He was a man, after all, and she was a beautiful woman.

He knew that there were few things he found sexier than the way she focused on her work. He definitely thought it was hot the way she was so intent, and sometimes he could barely contain himself when she got all squinty.

He began to realize that though he'd always felt this way, the feelings were intensified now that he was no longer denying them. And then he had to remind himself that they were taking things slow. Although there would come a point that she would be his girlfriend, they weren't there yet. She was his partner… they were working… and these thoughts were wholly inappropriate. He let out a long sigh. He knew this was the right course of action, but he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to take it.

"Is everything all right, Booth?" she asked.

He looked over and was once again awed by the look of honest concern on her face. He realized that she had probably been watching him for longer than he'd noticed.

"I'm fine," he said, turning his focus back to the road. "Just thinking about the case."

"I think it might be a long one," she offered, reaching out to take his hand.

His heart rate sped up just a little… and he wondered if it would always affect him this way when she was the one to initiate affection between them.

"I'll probably have to stay late at the lab tonight," she went on, entwining their fingers. "Did you get anything from the store employees?"

"Not really," he said. "I'll have a better jumping off point when you and the squints have done your magic and got me an identity."

"Magic has nothing to do with what we do, Booth," she said with a smile, knowing that he wasn't being literal. "It's science."

"I know, Bones," he said smiling back at her. "I know."

**BnBnBnBnB**

They arrived back at the Jeffersonian to find that the whole team was assembled. Cam had called in Angela and Hodgins and it appeared that Wendell would be assisting Brennan for this case.

Booth was glad to see Wendell there. It wasn't that he didn't like the other squinterns… they were all right. Daisy was a little hard to take, Fisher and the kid with two last names could be annoying, Vaziri was okay… and they were all great at their jobs… but he just felt like he could identify better with Wendell and that made working with him easier.

The FBI techs followed the partners into the lab. Brennan called Wendell over and instructed her intern to assist the technicians with the appropriate unloading of the remains. Once she was certain that the remains were being handled properly, she turned to go to her office. Booth followed her in and watched as she changed out of her outdoor jacket and into her lab coat.

"I'm gonna head back to the office and get into the reports from the Fairfax PD," he said, walking toward the side of her desk where she stood.

"Okay," she replied. "We'll let you know as soon as we find anything."

"I know you will," he replied.

As she turned away to sit at her desk he stopped her by reaching out for her elbow. When she turned back to him, he leaned in and placed a quick kiss to her cheek.

She gave him an admonishing look, but didn't say anything. She knew that taking it slow was the right thing to do, and keeping displays of their personal relationship out of the workplace was even more important. But she had to admit, if only to herself, that she'd been hoping that he'd kiss her all day.

This separating business and pleasure wasn't going to be easy.

"Since you wouldn't let me stop for lunch, promise me that you'll get something to eat," he said. "And that you won't stay here all night."

She rolled her eyes, although a part of her had missed his protectiveness.

"I can take care of myself, Booth," she said, and then she smiled softly at him. "But I promise I'll eat… I don't know how late I'll be. That depends on what the evidence shows, but I won't stay _all _night. Is that acceptable?"

"I guess it will have to be," he said, chuckling as he shook his head. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same… and that made him feel really good. "I'm going to head out."

"I'll walk with you," she said, standing back up. She wanted to go out to the platform and check Wendell's progress.

He smiled and waited for her to pass. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face when he placed his hand on her back… just a little bit lower than usual.


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN- Just another little peek into Booth and Brennan's world at this point... mostly set up to see things "propel" toward their goal. Hope you enjoy...and as always, I'd love to see your reviews. :-)**_

BnBnBnBnB

Chapter 11

BnBnBnBnB

Booth walked in to the lab just in time to hear an excited "Whoop!" coming from Wendell on the platform. He had left the office early, figuring that it would take a while to lure Brennan out of the lab and he wanted to be sure they weren't late for Parker's game.

"Booth," Brennan said as he swiped his card and walked up the stairs. "You're just in time. Mr. Bray has just determined cause of death."

"That's great," Booth replied, glancing down at his watch. He quickly calculated the amount of time before he had to be at the rink. If he stayed to work on the case, they may not make it to dinner before the game, but the rink had great hot dogs. "Talk to me."

Wendell held up the skull and showed Booth a fracture along the back with matching blood stains on the inside. He went on to explain how they had first thought that the damage had been from the body being tossed into the dumpster, but with Dr. Brennan's help, he had determined that there was actually blunt force trauma prior to the body dump.

"You got a weapon?" Booth asked.

"Not yet," Wendell answered.

"Keep working then," Booth replied. "You're doing a great job, Wendell." He turned back to his partner. "Come on, Bones," he said. "It's dinner time."

"Booth," she protested. "I really think I should stay here and assist Mr. Bray in determining the murder weapon…"

Booth gave her a look she didn't quite understand as he tried to remind her that they had plans without giving anything away to Wendell.

"Wendell's doing just fine," he said. "I bet you didn't even eat lunch. You're not going to be any help to anyone if you pass out from malnutrition…"

"Booth, I'm hardly malnourished," she protested.

"Humor me," Booth said, finally getting her

to look in his eyes.

Wendell held back a chuckle as he watched Booth lead Brennan down the stairs and toward her office.

"Did you forget we had plans?" he asked when they were alone behind the closed door of her office. He smiled and shook his head as she looked at him, seemingly not understanding. "Parker's game?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Parker's game… and we were going to dinner… I'm sorry, Booth," she said. "I forgot. I got so caught up in working on the case…"

"I know," he said with a smile. "But we've got to get out of here if we're going to have a chance to eat and still get to the rink in time for the game."

"I'll get my things," she said. "I just need to check in with Wendell before we leave."

This time, she caught the look he was giving her as he helped her on with her coat.

"What?" she asked.

"You just called him Wendell," he said.

"That's his name, isn't it?" she replied with a knowing grin.

"Well, yeah. But… you always call the squinterns by their last names…"

"I do," she said. "Ever since Zach, I feel that it's even more important that I maintain a professional distance from my students… but right now, it's just you and I here in the office…"

He nodded, understanding. Once again, she shocked him with her openness. He was really looking forward to getting to know the side of her that he'd missed seeing develop.

BnBnBnBnB

They had enjoyed a nice dinner at an organic restaurant near the rink. Brennan was impressed that Booth chose the restaurant, but was skeptical that he would be satisfied by the meal. Her suspicions were confirmed when he stopped off for a hot dog as soon as they arrived at the ice rink.

He took her hand and led her up the steps and into the stands. They took the seats behind Rebecca and Brent and sat back to enjoy the game.

Booth was surprised at how much his partner seemed to enjoy the game. He didn't have to explain much of anything to her, She was on her feet, cheering at all the appropriate times. At one point, she ended up standing in front of Booth and he held her in place with his hands on her hips when she started to move away. He moved his hand to her shoulders and leaned in to talk into her ear. The rink was loud and he'd have to shout if he didn't speak directly into her ear.

"When did you learn so much about hockey?" he asked, as he felt her shiver beneath his fingers.

She bit her lip as she felt that involuntary shiver run down her spine when she felt his warm breath against her ear in conjunction with his hands on her shoulders. This was becoming a familiar feeling and she really had to learn to control her reactions to him. She turned so he could hear her reply.

"After I started going to your games," she said, stopping when she realized how long it had been since she'd actually gone to see him play.

He saw the cloud that seemed to pass behind her eyes and knew she must be thinking about all the time they wasted.

"Go on," he said.

"I found that I very much enjoyed watching you on the ice," she admitted. "So I felt that I should learn the rules of the game so that I could understand what was happening."

"Why didn't I know this?" he asked, more to himself than to her. They had just gone to game together not two weeks ago, and he'd spent most of the game watching her. How had he not realized that she was actually enjoying the game?

"I don't know," she answered. "I was actually surprised we didn't have this discussion in Florida."

"I was a little distracted in Florida," he said, and felt her shoulders sag. Realizing that she thought he was talking about being distracted by missing Hannah, he leaned in a little closer and whispered in her ear. "I couldn't keep my eyes off you…" he said.

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss just below her ear and quickly stepped back before anyone realized what he'd done. He moved down to stand next to her and took her hand in his as they sat down.

They sat that way for the rest of the game.

BnBnBnBnB

Four adults stood waiting for Parker Booth as he came barreling out of the locker room, each of them greeting him with a proud smile. Parker ran past three of them and came to a crashing halt in front of the fourth.

"Bones!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her waist. He hugged her tightly before letting go and looking up into her face, beaming with pride. "I'm so glad you came to my game! Did you like it?"

"It was great, Parker," she said. "And I'm really glad I got to come, too. Thank you for inviting me. "

"I didn't, really," he said. "My dad said you would like to come, but I wasn't sure. It's been so long since you hung out with us…" He let his voice trail off and Brennan looked down to see that he was looking down at his shoes.

"What, Parker?" she asked.

"I didn't think you wanted to hang out with us anymore," he replied quietly.

Brennan looked to Booth for guidance. He nodded his head for her to tell Parker the truth. He was looking forward to see her response. He had faith in her open heart, and he knew it was important that she see he trusted her judgment with his son.

She knelt down in front of the boy.

"Parker," she said. "You…" she paused, looking over at Booth and then back to his son. "You and your father are very important to me. I always enjoy spending time with you."

"But when Hannah was here, we hardly ever saw you."

"I know," she said. "Because your dad and I are… friends, but sometimes… sometimes it's difficult for a man and a woman to be friends… when one or both of them is involved in a romantic relationship…"

She paused again, faltering. She was unsure of what to say and unaware that Booth and Rebecca thought she was doing a great job.

"Grownups are weird," Parker said, shaking his head. "I'm just glad you're here. You're not going away again are you?"

"No, Parker," she said, shaking her head and reaching out as the boy stepped into her embrace. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Cool," Parker replied, matter of fact. He turned back to his parents. "Can we get pizza?"

"We can stop and pick one up on the way home," Rebecca replied. "But it's a school night and you've got to get home."

"Can Dad and Bones come with us?"

"Maybe another time, Bub," Booth replied.

"I think your dad and Dr. Brennan might have other plans, buddy," Rebecca said, ruffling her son's hair. "Besides, it's nearly your bedtime."

"We'll see you soon," Brennan told the boy. "I'll make sure to stop by the children's center when you're having your lesson on Friday."

"Awesome," Parker said. "Max said we're gonna make something explode."

"Well, we wouldn't want to miss that, now would we?" Brennan replied

"Let's go, Parks," Rebecca said. "Say goodbye to your dad and Dr. Brennan."

"Okay," Parker answered as his mother ushered him into his coat.

He walked back over and hugged them both and then walked back to his mother.

"Bye Dad," he said, waving as they walked toward the door. "Bye, Bones. See you Friday."

Booth and Brennan followed the three of them out into the parking lot, exchanging goodbyes again as they all made their separate ways to their cars.

"Did you have fun?" Booth asked once they were in their seats in the SUV.

"Yes," she answered, "You know I did."

"Then why the face?" he asked, noticing a questioning look on her face.

"I was just thinking. Why did Rebecca think we had plans?"

Booth chuckled as he answered.

"She was just trying to get Parker moving," he said. "These weeknight games are tough. He's so wound up, and then he has to get in bed at a decent hour for school… she probably didn't really think anything of it. She just had to get him in the frame of mind to go home."

"Oh," she said, nodding slowly. "That makes sense. _Do_ we have plans?"

He smiled, enjoying the thought that she treasured their "after hours" time as much as he did.

"It's still early," he said. "Wanna go to Founding Fathers?"

"That sounds good," she answered as he reached over to take her hand.

BnBnBnBnB

The rest of the week went by quickly. Wendell had come up with the murder weapon, with a little help from Hodgins and one of his experiments. They had an arrest by Monday morning.

It was late in the afternoon when the partners walked back into the lab.

"How did it go, you two?" Angela asked as they approached the platform.

"It was a little sketchy there for a while, Ang," Booth admitted.

Their suspect had bolted when they showed up at his door and Booth had to chase him through the woods. But his perceptive partner had the great idea to jump in the truck and drive it around to the other end of the park, effectively cutting the guy off at the pass.

Booth smiled, thinking back at the proud grin she had displayed as she stood leaning against the side of the truck as came running out of the woods, knocking the killer to the ground.

"Bones' quick thinking saved the day once again," he went on. "Instead of following me into the woods, she went around the park and cut the guy off. It was perfect timing, I don't think it could have gone better if we'd planned it."

"That's why you two are the best in the business," Angela replied with a wink, glancing over at her best friend. "Good thinking, Sweetie. You could have done some serious ankle damage running through the woods in those shoes."

"That was my thought, Angela," Brennan replied. "With the trees barren for winter, I could see Booth the whole time as I drove around. I hated leaving him without backup, but it seemed the best way to stop the suspect."

"You did great, Bones," Booth confirmed. "Everybody's fine and the dirtbag is safely in lockup. And that's another one for the record books." He punctuated his point by exaggeratedly wiping his hands against each other.

"I, for one, am ready to call it a night," Angela said. "I didn't think this kid was gonna kill my social life until _after_ it was born," she added with a laugh. "Hodgins!" she called out to her husband who was still at his work station. "You ready?"

"Coming, dear!" he called back with a laugh.

"Wendell's already gone," Ang said, turning back to the partners. "Cam let him go so he could work on his doctoral thesis project, and she's gone for a date with Paul. But you two should go celebrate."

"What do you say, Bones?" Booth asked.

"Wong Fu's?" she asked in reply.

Booth agreed and they went to her office to gather her things to go home for the night.

Angela stood on the platform, shaking her head as she watched them walk out. Not for the first-or last- time, she wondered if those two would ever get their heads and hearts together.

BnBnBnBnB

The next several weeks saw things moving forward and falling back into a comfortable old rhythm at the same time.

With the blooming of the cherry blossoms, spring had found the partners right on schedule as far as Booth was concerned. They were working together better than ever and their friendship was finally back on terra firma. Things were definitely looking up.

Things at the lab were going better than ever. Booth and Brennan had found their groove as partners again…cases were being solved quickly… and soon things around the lab were feeling the way they used to. Angela would say there was a "rightness" about it all.

She couldn't know how "right" things really were.


	12. Chapter 12

_**AN- Well, slow can only get you so far LOL. I don't think we want to go through chapter after chapter of Booth and Brennan behaving "normally," so I decided that a little time jump was in order. **_

_**I'm hoping to wrap this one up during this short hiatus of the show. I said at the beginning of this one that I hoped to stay ahead of the show… and HH and company blew me away with that last episode! But that just means I have to step up my game. I want to be finished before I see what he has planned for us. I have to jump on my soapbox for a minute here and say that I think Hart Hanson is a genius. Those of you who know me, know that my faith in him has never wavered and that I have loved this entire season…even the blonde parts… because it is bringing us and our favorite couple right to where they should be.**_

_**That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter…and please, let me know what you think. It is your comments that keep me motivated to keep writing. I love the small notes of encouragement, and I especially treasure those who take the time to make specific comments about what they like…and what they don't. Thank you so much for that… it really does mean a lot.**_

_**Okay, so after the longest author's note on record… let the propulsion begin!**_

BnBnBnBnB

Chapter 12

BnBnBnBnB

"Knock, knock."

Brennan looked up from her computer to see her best friend standing in the doorway, holding a precious bundle.

"Angela!" she exclaimed, standing up to greet her guests.

"Cate wanted to see her Auntie Bren," Angela replied, beaming.

"Hello, Catherine," Brennan said, moving in close to the baby's face. She reached out to the baby and then turned back to her mother. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I told you," Angela said, looking between her friend and her baby. "The baby wanted to see you."

"Uh-huh," Brennan replied, cooing adorably at the baby.

"I'm going stir crazy," Angela admitted, as Brennan lifted the baby into her arms.

"When are you coming back to work?" Brennan asked.

"I don't know," Angela answered with a sigh. "Even though I'm getting a little bored at home, Catey is only five weeks old and I'm definitely not ready to leave her just yet. I was planning to wait until she was eight weeks…"

"Cam mentioned that you might be bringing the baby with you," Brennan said, speaking to her friend but focusing on Catey.

Angela nodded.

"We talked about it," she answered, "but I'm not sure I want to do that. I don't know that I want her subjected to murder and mayhem on a regular basis. And none of us really keep regular hours, so I don't know how well that would work. I'm actually interviewing au pairs this week."

"Is that right, Catey?" Brennan said to the baby in a sing-song voice. "Are you going to help Mommy to find your au pair?"

Angela smiled, getting a bit teary as she watched her friend interact with her daughter. Over the course of the last year, or at least the months since they had returned to DC, she had been in awe of the change in her friend. Angela had first noticed the change in Brennan right away when they returned, and the evolution had become even more pronounced in the months since their case in Woodland. But she noted to herself that the anthropologist had really blossomed since Booth's breakup with Hannah, and she had to wonder if there was anything more to that than simply coincidence.

"Sweetie, how's Booth doing?" she asked. "We got used to having him around and haven't seen him much lately."

"He's good," Brennan answered. "He's been busy with Parker since he's been out of school for the summer."

"You guys have been spending a lot of time together…"

"Yes," Brennan said with a smile.

"And?

"And what?" Brennan responded, knowing full well to what Angela was referring. She had been expecting this conversation, and was actually surprised it hadn't happened before. She and Booth had agreed that while they weren't keeping their relationship goals secret from their friends, they weren't planning to make any announcements, either. Brennan had taken to heart the idea that what was between them was theirs and since they still technically hadn't moved in to a romantic relationship, she was reluctant to let Angela in on their plans.

Angela tilted her head and gave her friend what Hodgins called her "patented _don't give me that_" glare.

"Booth realized that he had neglected both our partnership and our friendship while he was with Hannah," she offered. "And we've been kind of working on reestablishing those bonds."

Angela decided to try a different tact.

"So, it's been four months since Hannah left," she said. "Do you think he's ready to start dating again?"

"I think it's safe to say that he's over Hannah," Brennan said, doing her best to give nothing away. "But if you're thinking about setting him up with someone, I would hold off on that."

"Yeah?" Angela asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Brennan agreed. "I think he's really wanting to just focus on Parker right now."

BnBnBnBnB

Booth pulled in to a parking spot outside a small shop.

"What are we doing here, Dad?" Parker asked.

"I need to pick something up," Booth answered.

"Flowers?" Parker asked, looking up at the storefront as they walked in.

"Yep," his dad answered. "Come on."

"Who are you buying flowers for, Dad? A girl?" Parker asked, his voice a little wary. He didn't' think his Dad had gone out with anyone since Hannah left, and he was really enjoying the fact that they had been spending more time with Bones lately. He wasn't quite ready to give that up yet.

"Yeah, buddy," Booth answered, smiling. "A girl. Can you keep a secret?"

The boy nodded his head.

"They're for Bones," his dad told him. "I'm gonna ask her to go out on a date."

"Really?" Parker asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Really," Booth replied as they walked into the store. "So, what do you think she'll like?"

"Not roses," Parker said.

"No?"

"No," the boy answered, shaking his head.

"Why not?"

"Well, roses are kinda boring. They're so plain, especially when they're all red," Parker said, pausing as he continued his thought. "But Mom likes roses," he went on, earnestly. "And Hannah liked roses… but Bones isn't like other girls..."

"You're right, pal. Bones is special and she needs something special. I've got an idea."

BnBnBnBnB

Angela looked down at her watch and was surprised to find that she had been in Brennan's office for nearly two hours. She hadn't intended to stay that long, but since she had she reasoned she might as well just wait now until her husband was ready to go home.

All three occupants of the office were enjoying the quiet solitude. Angela had been sitting on the sofa with Cate sleeping in her carrier next to her. She'd taken the quiet time to sketch while Brennan was working.

The tranquility was interrupted by the high pitched sound of Daisy Wick's excited voice.

"Dr. Brennan!" she exclaimed. "These just came for you!"

Brennan and Angela looked up and didn't even see Daisy as she was hid behind the largest bouquet of wildflowers that either of them had ever seen.

Angela sat back and watched as her friend got up from her desk to retrieve the vase from her student.

"Thank you, Miss Wick," she replied with dismissal obvious in her tone.

Angela watched as Brennan tried to remain stoic, but it was also obvious that she was really excited about the delivery. Angela watched as a faint smile crossed her face and she bit her bottom lip.

Angela and Daisy looked on as she opened the small envelope and took out the card and read the only two words on the card. She'd recognize the handwriting anywhere, and the sentiment both warmed her heart and gave her butterflies in her stomach. She'd always thought that a silly saying, but at this moment she understood it fully.

_I'm ready._

"Who are they from?" Daisy asked, practically jumping up and down.

"It doesn't say," Brennan answered honestly. "You may get back to work now, Miss Wick."

"Yes, Dr. Brennan," Daisy replied, disappointed as she turned and left the office.

Angela waited until the intern was gone and the door closed behind her before she turned back to her friend.

"You know exactly who sent those," she stated rather than asked.

"I do," Brennan admitted.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No."

Brennan was torn. She was excited by the prospect of this being the turning point in her relationship with Booth. She knew that this was his way of telling her that he wanted to move forward into a romantic relationship, and she was thrilled. She had been ready for a long while and was just waiting for him to catch up.

Part of her felt like a teenager and wanted to tell her best girlfriend everything, but that part was tempered by the part of her who was enjoying having this time with Booth that was just between them. She knew that if they started dating that everyone would know sooner rather than later, so she resolved to sit down with Angela and tell her everything…well, almost everything…after they'd had their first real date.

"You don't have to tell me," Angela taunted. "I already know who they're from."

"You do, do you?" Brennan answered, tearing her eyes away from the beautiful arrangement and attempting to shift her focus back to the work at hand.

"Of course," Angela answered. "Any random guy would have sent roses. There's only one guy who knows you hate roses. Only one guy who would have sent you a bouquet of wildflowers full of daffodils…"

Brennan stared blankly at the computer screen in front of her. She should have known that Angela would figure things out the very minute there was anything to figure out. She really did have some sort of sixth sense about these kinds of things… not that Brennan believed in that kind of perception, of course.

Angela waited patiently for a response, but when she didn't get one she went on, undaunted.

"Why is Booth sending you flowers, Bren?"

Brennan fought to remain stoic. She had just made a promise to herself to tell Angela everything, but just not yet. She wanted to keep things between herself and Booth just a little bit longer.

"Brennan?" Angela prodded. "Is there something going on between you and Booth?"

Brennan let out a long sigh and looked up from the computer screen.

"Angela," she said. "I promise, I'll tell you everything, but just not yet. Give me a few days and we'll let little Catherine stay home with Daddy while we have a girls' night out. Or maybe a girls; night in… you can come over, we'll have ice cream and watch one of those movies you like so much…"

Angela watched with rapt interest as different emotions played across her friend's face. She sensed that now was definitely not the time to tease her friend about her relationship with Booth. There was really something going on here, and it was something special….something that had Brennan flustered. Could those two have finally come to their senses?

"… and I'll tell you everything, but now just isn't the time. I promise, I'll tell you. But just not yet. I need a little time, Ang. Can you give me that?"

_Wow._

"Yeah, sweetie," Angela answered. "I can give you that. I'll be here when you're ready," she said, gathering up her daughter's things so that she could venture out into the lab to find her husband. "And for what it's worth, I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks Ang," Brennan replied with a gentle smile that Angela had never seen before. "I'm really happy, too."

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Brennan busied herself around her kitchen. She looked over again at the beautiful bouquet that now graced the center of her dining table. She had debated calling Booth to thank him for the flowers and to let him know she got his message… loud and clear.

But she had ultimately decided against it. They had planned to meet after he took Parker home this evening, so she decided to wait until then. When she saw him face to face, she'd be able to give him a proper _thank you_.

She put the finishing touches on the risotto she was preparing and went back to her room to change.

She was back in the kitchen and was unwrapping a huge slab of red meat when she heard a knock at the door. She smiled as she felt that now familiar fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. She set the package down on the counter and wiped her hands on a dish towel before walking out to answer the front door.

She opened the door to find her partner standing there. He looked delicious, leaning against the door jamb wearing jeans and a well-worn t-shirt that fit him perfectly. He was holding in front of him a single stem. A daffodil. He presented it to her with a smile.

"Thank you," she said, stepping aside to allow his entrance. "Please come in."

She followed him into her living space and watched as he walked over to the dining table. He leaned in to take in their fragrance.

"I see you got the flowers," he said.

"Yes," she replied. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

She waited a moment to see what he was going to say and when he didn't speak she went on, talking as she walked into the kitchen.

"I was just getting dinner ready," she said as she took out a small bud vase and put her new single daffodil in it.

He was touched by the fact that she understood the symbolism of bringing her one flower tonight. He loved that she kept it separate and didn't just add it to the vase on the dining table. He watched as she set the small vase down on the counter in front of her, where she could see it as she prepared the meal.

"What is that?" he asked, noticing what exactly it was that she was working on.

"It's a New York Strip," she answered, matter of fact. "The butcher said it was the best cut in his shop."

"I know what it is, Bones," he said, "but what's it doing here?"

"It's your dinner, Booth," she replied, smiling as he stepped behind her and leaned over her shoulder while resting his hands on her hips. "But you're going to have to cook it. That's where I draw the line."

She turned around and handed him a plate containing the steak and a barbeque fork.

"The barbeque grill is ready," she informed him as he took the plate and she gave him a little shove toward the balcony.

He looked from her to the French doors leading to her small balcony. He had talked her into the grill a couple of months ago and they'd used it to make veggie shish kabobs. He thought he might be able to talk her into a salmon or swordfish steak but he never imagined he'd be grilling a gorgeous piece of meat like the one he was carrying now. She never ceased to amaze him, and he knew she never would.

A short while later, he looked up to see her leaning against the open French door. She handed him a beer while she sipped on one of her own.

"The risotto is finished," she said. "And I've mixed a salad. So, whenever you're finished here we can eat."

He glanced around her to see that she had set the table and he couldn't hold back his smile when he saw that she had replaced the big bouquet with the single stem.

"Almost ready," he told her. "Thanks for this, Bones," he said, honestly touched.

"I thought that you would enjoy it," she answered simply, but her eyes conveyed to him that the steak was her way of letting him know she was aware of just how special this night would be.

Soon the steak was cooked and they were sitting together at her dining room table, enjoying a lovely meal. They chatted about their days and he told her about his visit with Parker. It didn't take long for the conversation to turn to the one that they had both been anticipating.

He was surprised that she was the one to broach the subject.

"So," she said, the effort to remain casual evident in her voice. "The flowers…"

"The flowers… " he replied. "I'm glad you liked them."

"I did," she answered. "I do. They're lovely… but…"

He thought she was adorable as a soft pink blush spread over her cheeks as she struggled to find the right words.

"It's time?" she asked.

"It's time," he answered, nodding.

He reached across the table and took her hand. For the briefest moment the thought crossed his mind that he should use her given name in this very important moment, but then the thought passed. Whether they were becoming romantically involved or not made no difference… to him, she wasn't _Temperance_.

"Bones," he said, smiling as she seemed to relax under his touch. "Will you go on a date with me?" he asked. "A real date signifying the beginning of a relationship that is way more than strictly business?"

She couldn't help but laugh at the twinkle in his eye as he asked the question, but instead of her deep, hardy laugh it came out as more of a giggle and Booth's heart melted just a little more.

"Yes, Booth," she replied. "I would love to go on a real date with you… a date that signifies the crossing of a line and removes the _just_ from _just partners_."

He brought her hand to his lips and brushed the gentlest kiss over her knuckles.

"This is it, Bones," he said. "No going back."

"No," she replied, shaking her head without breaking eye contact. "No going back."

Neither of them felt the seismic shift that they expected to feel when this moment finally happened. They were happy to discover that there was no shift needed because they had finally done things the right way and their relationship was evolving organically.

They spent the rest of the evening, each just enjoying the other's company. Occasionally, there was a lull in conversation as one or the other of them got lost in their thoughts of a happy future, but even the quiet moments were comfortable…proving to the partners that they were truly on the right path.


	13. Chapter 13

_**AN- Let the date begin… :-) As always, you know what to do! I'm a little nervous about this whole date thing, so I'd love to hear/read your comments!**_

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Chapter 13

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Brennan stood in front of her full-length mirror studying her reflection. Booth wouldn't tell her where they were going, and she had spent much more time than she cared to admit considering what to wear. Normally in this situation she would ask Angela for advice, but she knew this was something she had to do on her own. She still wasn't ready to share it with Angela. She'd promised her friend a full rundown, but not until after their first date.

First date.

She thought about that for a moment. When one looked at the anthropological markers for modern dating she and Booth had actually been dating for months, if not years. Of course, nothing about her relationship with Booth could ever fit in a checklist… they'd never done anything "normally." What other couple could spend seven years getting to know each other…express their love for one another… and then wait four months for their "first date?" She ventured the answer to that would be a resounding "none."

Booth had told her to wear a pretty dress. She had finally gotten him tell her that their date wouldn't be formal, so she realized he just wanted to see her dressed up in something flirty and feminine. She could do that. In fact, she thought she had done a really good job of it… if she did say so herself.

She'd chosen the blush pink Sue Wong dress that Angela had insisted she buy on their most recent shopping trip. It had an empire waist and floating panel skirt that fell a few inches above her knee. The thin straps and beaded bodice accented her curves and she paired it with a pair of strappy patent leather Jimmy Choos. The four and a half inch heels made her legs look a mile long. She was sure that Booth would be pleased with the ensemble and that it would be appropriate for any number of possible venues.

Her makeup was minimal, enhancing her eyes in the most natural way and the soft colors complemented the dress. She finished off with a coat of sheer lip gloss and contemplated what to do with her hair.

She smiled at herself, thinking it had been a very long time since she was this concerned over her appearance. She understood the significance of this evening and she wanted it to be as memorable for Booth as she knew he would make it for her. She knew that he preferred her hair down but she thought up would look better with the dress, so she decided on a compromise. She had left it wavy and loose and pulled it up loosely with several soft tendrils framing her face.

She put on her mother's earrings and chose to forgo a necklace in favor of putting the focus on the intricate bodice of the dress.

She took a step back from the mirror and reflected on her finished product. Yes, she was sure Booth would be pleased with her appearance… she certainly was.

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Booth knotted his tie and took a good long look in the mirror. He had chosen a charcoal grey suit with a pale blue shirt that reminded him of Brennan's eyes. His tie was gunmetal grey and had a slight sheen to it. He ran his fingers through is hair as he contemplated what the night would bring.

He had agonized over what kind of date to plan. Usually a first date would entail dinner and dancing, or maybe a movie. But this date had to be special. He had tried not to over think it, but he also really wanted to get it just right.

First, he'd thought about going to that new French restaurant that had recently opened in Georgetown. It would definitely fit the bill for fancy, and he might even be able to get a table… if he used Bones' name… but the more he thought about it, that was all wrong. A fancy French restaurant just wasn't "them."

Then, he'd considered a picnic at the Mall. That was definitely more "them," but it wasn't special enough to commemorate their first real date. He had to chuckle when he really thought about it. In reality, they'd been dating forever… at least for the last few months, and really on-and-off over the past several years if he were being honest. He was sure Bones would not agree, and since tonight was their official jumping off point… everything had to be perfect.

He thought about trying to arrange a special visit to the planetarium for just the two of them. He imagined holding her in his arms while they sipped some really expensive wine and she pointed out the constellations.

He thought about driving up to Philly and taking her to a Phils game. That thought brought a smile to his face, remembering fondly her thoughtful planning of a trip to Florida to catch a Flyers game. A baseball game was definitely something they'd do this summer… maybe with Parker, but it wasn't a first date kind of thing.

In the end, he ended up going the traditional route with dinner and dancing. He'd made reservations at the new Asian Fusion restaurant that Ernie Summers had opened in the spring. They had frequented his sushi place ever since they'd met him a few years back during the Carly Victor case, and they'd talked about going to the new place but just never got around to it.

It was upscale enough to be considered "fancy dress," but it wasn't snooty or formal. It was one of the hottest places in town right now, and Booth was thrilled to get a table- using his own name. Sometimes it pays to know the owner.

After dinner, they'd go dancing. Bones wasn't some club girl, though… and most of the dance clubs in the city were meat markets and filled with a somewhat younger crowd. He'd winced when he came to that realization. He thought about taking her swing dancing, but as fun as that would be…tonight he wanted to have her in his arms, so he'd need a much slower vibe.

He glanced down at his watch. He needed to get going. He thought they might linger over a drink at her place before heading out to the restaurant and he wanted to make sure there was time.

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Brennan sat on her sofa, waiting patiently. She'd tried to time it so that she'd just be finishing up when Booth arrived, but it hadn't taken her as long to get ready as she'd thought it might.

So, now she waited.

She couldn't remember the last time she was nervous before a date. And why was she nervous, anyway? This was Booth. _Booth_. Her Booth. The Booth who knew her better than anyone ever had. She made a conscious decision to push her nerves aside and just focus on what was sure to be a wonderful evening.

She got up and walked over to the stereo. She plugged her iPod into the dock and set it on her playlist of soothing songs. She then lit a couple of candles and opened a bottle of California Cabernet Sauvignon. She let the wine breathe and walked back to the kitchen to retrieve two wine glasses, setting them down next to the bottle of wine.

She walked over to the balcony doors and opened them. The weather was cooperating and it promised to be a lovely summer evening. Not chilly in the least, but not too hot, either. As she opened the doors and stepped out on the small balcony, she noticed a large, black SUV parked in the guest parking in front of her building. Despite her earlier attempts to compartmentalize, she began to feel that familiar nervous sensation in the pit of her stomach. Before she had a chance to focus on it, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

She took in a deep breath and made her way to the door.

He looked good enough to eat.

She couldn't stifle a small laugh at herself as she unleashed her inner Angela.

"What's funny?" he asked as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Nothing," she replied. "Come in."

She stepped back to allow him entry and watched him as he walked in. The way he was openly appreciating her sent a shiver down her spine. They had shared an attraction to each other for years, but never was it so blatantly on display. She felt the heat of his stare as physically as if he'd caressed her. It took her breath away.

"God, Bones," he said, a bit breathless himself as he took in the sight of her. "You're gorgeous. You really look amazing."

"Thank you," she answered. "You look pretty good yourself." She bit her bottom lip and looked at him through hooded eyes.

He thought he just might go up in flames from the heat surrounding them, and he was sure he'd never be able to get enough of the sexy, sultry side of his partner… especially when she was trying to hide it by being coy.

She offered him a glass of wine, and he thought a drink was definitely a good idea. He stood back, watching as she poured the dark liquid. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. That dress was perfect, and her legs… those amazing legs went on forever. He had to restrain himself from imagining them wrapped around him.

It was the shoes, though, that really got him. They were killer. They were an ivory color, not the blatant red or black of a fuck-me pump. They were strappy, with at least four-inch stilettos. And… he was imagining her legs wrapped around him again. He really had to rein it in if they were going to get to the restaurant.

The shoes were hot, but there was no way they were comfortable. He had to give women props for the things they go through in the name of fashion… but he was really glad they did. Bones was beautiful in her lab coat and jeans… or in sweats and running shoes… but tonight… tonight she was absolutely stunning.

Brennan felt Booth watching her as she poured the wine. She allowed herself a moment to bask in this new sensation. She loved that he was showing open admiration for the way she looked. She wasn't immune to him, either.

She was used to seeing him in a suit, and like always, he wore it well. She had always appreciated that he didn't spare any expense when it came to his wardrobe. He subscribed to the old adage, "The clothes make the man." Not that she believed that, and she knew he didn't really either… but she did love the cut of his suits.

She offered him a glass of wine, and they sat down together on the sofa. Soon, the nerves were settled and they were finding their way to their level of deep comfort with each others company. They chatted briefly, about nothing really, while enjoying the ambiance and two glasses of wine.

Soon, it was time to go so that they would make their reservations.

At the door, Booth helped her with her wrap. The wine colored Pashmina was a perfect match to the detail in the bodice of her dress and once again he appreciated the care she must have taken to prepare for their date.

As they were walking out the door, he leaned in and kissed her cheek again. Placing his hand at the small of her back, he followed her out the front door of her apartment.

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Brennan smiled as they pulled up in front of Plum Blossom.

"Eddie's new restaurant," she said. "Good choice, Booth."

"Thanks," he said, more affected by her approval than he would have expected.

"I'm surprised you were able to get a table on such short notice," she said. "It was short notice, wasn't it?" She wondered if he had planned the date before he'd actually invited her.

"Yeah," he answered. "I actually just called this morning."

"Impressive," she replied.

"It helps when you've got an 'in' with the owner," he replied with a smile as he stopped at the valet stand.

He stopped the car and jumped out, leaving the door open for the valet as he ran around to meet her at the door. His smile was wide when he realized she'd excused the valet who opened the door for her and was waiting for her date to escort her from the car. He reached for her hand and helped her from the tall vehicle, falling just a little more in love with her for extending him the small courtesy of accepting his gallantry.

She stepped out of the SUV and they walked together into the restaurant, stopping at the host stand to give Booth's name to the maître d'. The host quickly directed them to an intimate table in the corner of the restaurant.

Booth couldn't help but smile when he saw how well Eddie had hooked him up. He stopped and held out a chair for Brennan as she sat down.

When they sat down and began to look over the menu, some of the nervousness between them began to dissipate. Each of them had acknowledged, if only to themselves, that nothing had really changed… they'd been dating for quite a while now. Removing some of the pressure that they had unknowingly ascribed to the night opened it up to be even more enjoyable.

They ordered a bottle of wine and a plate of edamame and vegetable tempura to share as they continued to look over the menu.

Their wine and appetizers were brought to the table, and they ordered dinner. Conversation flowed easily and this was like many of their previous dinners, with the addition of holding hands across the table.

They conversed, and laughed, and ate and each enjoyed the others company as the dinner progressed.

They were debating whether or not to order dessert when their waiter arrived with a plate of Eddie's signature Spicy Fried Banana for two.

"Compliments of the chef," the waiter told them as he set the plate down between them.

The dish of banana and honey coconut was delicious, and in a playfully off-guard moment, the couple found themselves each eating off the other's fork. When they'd finished, Booth reached out to remove a spot of honey from the corner of his partner's mouth and at the last minute leaned in to kiss it away.

Soon, they found themselves exchanging a deep kiss full of promise and longing… and totally inappropriate for the current setting.

Reluctantly tearing himself away from Brennan's lips, Booth rested his forehead against hers.

"Come on, Bones," he said. "Let's get out of here."


	14. Chapter 14

_**AN- Okay guys, here it is-the date, part two. It seems like most of you thought I did okay on the first part, I can only hope you like this one as much. My goal was to make it romantic, but not too sappy… original and fitting with the characters. Let me know if I succeeded.**_

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Chapter 14

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Brennan began to wonder what Booth could possibly have planned as he gave the cab driver an address in a rather sketchy part of town. She was already on alert when he'd suggested dropping the SUV at her place and opting for alternate transportation. She started to voice her concern when it dawned on her exactly where they were. Up ahead on the right was the bar where they'd gone during their very first case.

Her suspicions where confirmed when the cab stopped in front of the building. However, she noticed that the place had changed a bit in the past seven or eight years. The seedy pool hall seemed to have been replaced by a seedy blues club.

"The nostalgia is just coincidence," Booth whispered into her ear, pulling her close to his side as the cab drove away. "But I do have to tell you that I'm thrilled to know that the next time you leave this place in the back of a cab, I'm gonna be right next to you."

She couldn't help but smile at the look on his face, but she didn't respond in words. Instead, she leaned in and placed a soft and quick kiss against his lips.

"I wanted to take you dancing," he said. "And a buddy of mine recommended this club. He said the run-down appearance is part of the appeal."

She looked from her date to the front of the building and then back to Booth again.

"I guess we'll have to take his word for that," she said with a chuckle.

He laughed along with her.

"I hear ya, Bones," he said. "But he said not to be fooled by the exterior. Wanna give it a try?"

"Why not?" she asked, shoulders shrugged. "We're here. And if I recall, the dark and somewhat shabby ambiance of the interior was part of the appeal the last time we were here."

Although it had caused him countless hours of frustration and worry over the years, he had to admit that her adventurous streak was one of the things he loved the most about her. He shook his head, smiling widely as he took her hand and they walked up to the front door of the dive bar.

He paid the cover charge and held her hand a little tighter as she followed him into the club. It was dark and crowded and the patrons were bathed in dim blue light courtesy of the neon that lined the top of the black painted walls. It wasn't exactly the dark, smoky bar out of a Mickey Spillane novel that he had imagined… but he knew it wouldn't be because of the District's smoking ban.

They stopped at the bar and ordered drinks before making their way to a small table in the corner near the stage. Booth was impressed that they'd found a table, but his excitement was short-lived when he realized there was only one chair.

"You take it, Bones," he said.

She shook her head and although it was dark, he could almost feel the way she was looking at him. He would describe the look as 'predatory.'

"Bones, please," he said. "I'm trying to be a gentleman here."

"Sit down, Booth," she ordered, and make no mistake about it…it was definitely an order. She placed her hand on his shoulder and guided him into the chair. She took his beer bottle from his hand and set it on the table next to where she'd set hers and then made herself comfortable on his lap.

_Now, that's what I'm talking about_, Booth thought. He hadn't predicted this particular scenario, but he _had_ intended to have Bones in his arms tonight.

She nuzzled against his neck as they sat back and enjoyed the music. He sipped his beer with one hand while rubbing soft circles on her back with the other.

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Booth held Brennan close against his chest as they swayed to the music. He was definitely going to have to do something for Schadler for recommending this place. It had turned out to be the perfect venue for their date.

He was enjoying the feel of having his partner in his arms, and they were both enjoying the music. The band was extremely good, and his friend had been right… the perceived seediness of the place had definitely lent itself to the ambiance.

Booth found himself feeling somewhat nostalgic; spending the evening of their first "real" date in the same place they had spent what some would consider their _actual_ first date.

The band was winding down and the bartender called last call.

"I don't know about you," Brennan whispered in his ear, her breath against his skin giving him a sensation of warmth that spread through his whole body. "But suddenly, I'd really like a shot of tequila."

A grin spread across his face as he stepped back and took her hand. Without words, he led her over the bar where shots of tequila were ordered.

"You're not going to fire me this time, are you?" Her eyes were sparkling as she asked, leaning against the bar as she raised a shot glass to her lips.

"Not a chance," he replied, his eyes never leaving hers as they simultaneously took their shots.

They sat at the bar, waiting as the remaining customers began milling toward the door. After a short while, Booth helped his date with her wrap and they made their way out the front door.

They walked outside into a beautiful, clear night. The light of a nearly full moon cast a silver glow over the dark street. The couple stood facing each other as Brennan stepped into Booth's embrace.

Neither of them could say who made the first move, but soon they were engaged in a hungry kiss. Soon, the need for oxygen presented itself and they pulled apart… just enough to catch their breaths. She looked up into his eyes as she spoke.

"Booth?"

Unable to speak, he nodded gently.

"I think this is going somewhere," she said with a smile.

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"Ahem."

The cab driver cleared his throat. This couple seemed a little classier than the ones he usually had to kick out of the back of his car around this time of night, and this address was one of the swankier ones he'd been to in a while. He had tried to be discreet and offer them a modicum of privacy, but he had also been drawn to them in a funny way. He wanted to know their story.

He had heard one of them mention a first date, but he had to have been mistaken. He'd seen a lot of couples in the back of his car over the years, and this was no first date. These two were more like the couples who were celebrating a long and happy union… an anniversary, maybe… but not a first date.

He glanced again in the rearview mirror.

"We're here, folks," he said, smiling.

He watched as the couple pulled back, gently resting their foreheads together. The man whispered something in his lady's ear, bringing a bright smile to her face. He opened the door and got out, offering her his hand as she climbed out behind him.

"Thanks, buddy," the man said, leaning in the window. He handed the driver some cash, nearly twice the amount that read on the meter.

"No," the driver said. "Thank you. Have a good night."

He watched as the couple walked from the cab and up to the front door of the loft building. They were leaning against each other and the man's hand rested protectively against the woman's back.

Yep, he'd seen a lot of couples in his time, and these two were soulmates if he'd ever seen any.

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They arrived at the front door and Brennan reached out to open it.

"Wait," Booth said.

"What?"

"Just wait," he said gently. "I'm not ready for this night to end yet."

"I know," she answered, "and neither am I. That's why I want to go upstairs," she added with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Bones, we are not having sex tonight," he told her.

"What?" she asked. "Why not?"

"First date," he said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "Remember?"

"Oh, right," she replied. "Traditional dating rituals. So does that mean we're subscribing to the Third Date Rule?"

"Third Date Rule?" he asked, trying to sound confused. Of course he knew about the Third Date Rule, he was just surprised that she did.

"Yes," she answered. "I've been researching modern dating rituals in the Western world, particularly in the United States. It is generally understood that the man plays the role of the aggressor, and the woman must withhold sex until the third date. It is generally understood that when a couple reaches the third date, they will engage in sexual intercourse."

He just shook his head and smiled. _Now there's my Bones_, he thought.

"So are we?" she asked.

"Are we what?"

"Subscribing to the Third Date Rule?"

He sighed.

"I don't know, Bones," he said. "Let's just play it by ear, okay?"

"I've upset you," she said, sadly.

"No," he answered, taking her hand. "I'm not upset. I just don't want to talk about rules and agendas and when it's time to have sex. When we are ready to make love," he said, "we'll both know it."

"Okay," she answered, still not quite ready to believe she hadn't ruined their lovely evening.

"Tonight," he said, "I'm going to walk you to your door, and I'm going thank you for a perfect evening and then I'm going to kiss you goodnight. After that, I'm going to wait for you to go in to your apartment and lock the door behind you before I turn and come back here to get in my truck and go home."

"Okay," she said again, this time looking in to his eyes.

"But I'm not ready to do that just yet," he told her.

"Booth," she said, "It's three o'clock in the morning, what else can we do?"

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked, pausing to look down at her shoes. "If you're uncomfortable, I'll understand."

"I'm fine, Booth," she replied. "There's a little park around the corner," she suggested.

"Sounds good," he said, offering her his arm.

She leaned against him as they walked along the sidewalk toward the park. She led him to the entrance to the small neighborhood park, which was really more of a garden. He loved the way she leaned into him as they walked under the vine covered archway over the wrought iron gate.

"Wow," he said, glancing around the beautiful little plot of land. "I didn't know there were places like this in the city."

"It is lovely, isn't it?" she replied. "I guess it is a well-kept secret, I would be surprised if anyone outside of the neighborhood knew about it. It's kind of our own little oasis. I often come here when I want to get away and think. Come with me," she said, taking his hand and leading him down a moonlit path.

She took him through a maze of rose bushes to a dark corner of the garden. She sat down on a stone bench at the base of a weeping willow tree.

Lacing her fingers with his, she gently squeezed his hand.

"Thank you, Booth," she said.

"No," he replied, "thank you, for bringing me here. This place is amazing, Bones."

She smiled, enjoying the fact that sharing something so personal to her actually meant something to him.

"You're welcome," she replied softly, "but I meant thank you for this whole evening. It's been wonderful."

"I'm glad you thought so," he said, gently rubbing her hand with both of his. "It was important, and I wanted it to be special for you."

"It was," she answered. "But you should know by now that any time I spend with you is special, particularly when we are able to be alone."

"I do know," he said. "And I agree."

He brought their joined hands to his lips.

"I loved the restaurant," she said. "And the club…" She paused, dreamily recalling the hours they'd spent in each other's arms at the blues club.

"It was great, wasn't it?" he replied, thinking of the feel of her sitting on his lap… holding her in his arms on the dance floor… He felt a warm flush over his body when he recalled their impromptu make-out session at their dark corner table.

"But I think that this might be my favorite part of the evening," she told him, leaning against him.

They sat this way for a long time, just quietly enjoying the company and the beautiful evening… neither of them wanting to break the spell and bring it to an end.

"If we stay much longer," his low gravely voice broke the silence, "we can watch the sun rise."

She smiled, thinking that wasn't such a bad idea but knowing that it couldn't come to be.

"We should go," she said.

"I don't want to," he said.

"Neither do I," she told him. "But you've got to pick up Parker in a few hours… you should go home and get some sleep."

He knew she was right. His son was always a ball of energy when he picked him up on Saturday mornings, and he was sure today wouldn't be any different.

"You're right," he conceded.

"I usually am," she replied with a smile.

"Let's go, genius," he said, standing and offering her his hand.

They walked quietly back to her apartment building and as promised, he walked her to her door.

"I had a great time tonight, Bones," he said as she took out her key. "Thank you."

"It was a lovely first date, Booth," she agreed. "Thank you for taking such care to plan it."

"You're welcome," he said. "It was a great first date, wasn't it? Really great for a _last_ first date."

He waited a moment while she puzzled through exactly what he'd said. He smiled when he caught the twinkle of understanding in her eye. At that moment, he fell in love with her all over again.

He leaned in and captured her lips with his. He smiled into the kiss as he heard her moan softly. The kiss continued until they could no longer share one breath.

"Goodnight, Bones," he said softly.

"Goodnight, Booth," she replied, as she walked into her apartment and leaned against the door jamb. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"You mean later today?" he asked with a smile. "Yeah, just try and keep me away…"

"Why would I keep you away, Booth?" she asked, interrupting. "If I had my way, you'd be staying…"

"It's just a saying, Bones," he replied, his smile widening. "Parker and I are going to the skate park around lunch time. You're welcome to come along if you want to."

"I think I'd like that," she said.

"Great," he replied. "I'll call you."

They stood for another few long silent moments, looking into each other's eyes.

"If I don't leave now, Bones," he said. "I'm never going to."

"Goodnight, Booth," she said, smiling and wondering if there had been another day that found her smiling so much.

"Goodnight, Bones."

He leaned in again, this time for a quick, chaste kiss. And then, without a word he turned away. He waited for a moment and she knew he was waiting for her to close and lock the door so she complied.

Booth couldn't remember a time when he'd felt better as he walked down the stairs and out to his SUV.

He wasn't naïve enough to think that life with Bones would always be sunshine and roses, but they'd had a pretty great first date- and since he was a betting man, he'd bet that boded well for a happy future.


	15. Chapter 15

_**AN- Sorry for the longer delay between chapters….we were without Internet access for about a week The satellite guy had to come out and re-aim the dish, LOL! But of course, with 's "quirks" with alerting lately, maybe no one even noticed there was no update or that there is now. :-) This is just a bit of fluff… not a whole lot of forward movement. Let me know what you think!**_

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Chapter 15

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Booth poured another cup of coffee while Parker sat watching "Myth Busters." He had to laugh, the kid used to be totally wrapped up in the Disney Channel, but the more time he spent with Max and Bones, the more time he spent watching Discovery Kids.

"You look pretty wrecked, Dad," Parker called from the other room without looking away from the television.

"Long night, pal," Booth replied. "Give me a few more minutes and I'll be good to go."

"Okay," the boy replied. "Whatever."

"We'll get a move on in a little bit," Booth said. "Grab some lunch and then head over to the skate park?"

"'Kay," Parker said, focusing on the television.

"Hey Parks," Booth called, asking for his son's attention.

"Yeah, Dad," Parker answered, without looking up.

"Hold on," Parker replied.

"No, Parker," Booth said. "I need to talk to you. Come here."

"Aw, Dad. They're getting ready to make a fireball out of stun gun! It's so cool."

"Then hit the DVR button and tape it," Booth said. "I really need you to come in here. There's something I want to talk to you about."

Booth hated the idea of pushing Parker into this conversation. H e really didn't want his son to be on the defensive, but he'd really screwed this up the last time and he needed to be sure he was doing it right. He wanted to have an honest talk with Parker before introducing the idea of his relationship with Brennan.

He knew that Parker had always liked Brennan. His son had been very enthusiastic about buying flowers for Bones, but he didn't want to take anything for granted.

He looked up, pulled from his thoughts to see that his son had joined him at the table.

"What's up, Dad?"

"Buddy, what would you think about Bones spending more time with us?"

"What are you talking about, Dad? Bones hangs out with us all the time."

"You're right," Booth replied. "But she's probably going to be hanging out with us more, like most of the time."

"So the flowers worked, huh?" Parker asked with a smile. "Bones is your girlfriend now, right? Totally cool, Dad."

"You're sure you're okay with this?" Booth asked, slightly nervous. "I mean, I kinda sprung Hannah on you and…"

"Yeah," Parker answered. "That was a little weird. But this is Bones, Dad. _Bones_. It's really okay with me. More than okay, honest."

"Yeah?" Booth asked, his face relaxing into a bright smile.

"Yeah," Parker said, flashing his own version of the Booth charm smile. "It's about time."

Still smiling, Booth let out a long sigh of relief.

"Good," he said. "'Cause she's coming with us to the park today."

"Lunch, too?" Parker asked.

"I was planning to pick her up after lunch on our way to the park," his father answered.

"That's okay, too," Parker said. "But if you want her to go to lunch with us, that's okay with me."

"Thanks, Buddy," Booth replied, reaching over to ruffle his son's sandy blond curls. "Get your gear together and I'm gonna go and get ready."

Booth went into his bedroom and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He sat down on the bed to put on his shoes and noticed his cell phone on the bedside table. He picked it up and dialed a familiar number.

"_Brennan."_

"Good morning, Beautiful."

He could hear her stretching and picked up the smile in her voice as she answered.

"_Good morning."_

"Are you still in bed?" he asked. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"_No," she replied. "I'm glad you did."_

"Want to have brunch with Parker and me?" he asked.

"_I thought you were going to take him out to eat and then I would go with you to the park."_

"Yeah," he said. "But I miss you."

"_Booth," she replied, rolling her eyes and smiling with excitement at the same time. "It's only been a few hours."_

"I know," he said. "And you're right. But it's not me, it's Parker. He really wants to see you. I could wait, but you know kids. He's really impatient…"

"_Oh, well, we wouldn't want to disappoint Parker, now would we?"_

"No," he replied softly. "We wouldn't."

"_So…"_

"So, how long will it take you to get ready? The boy and I are starving!"

"_Never let it be said that I got between the Booth boys and their feeding time," she said with a smile. "Come on. I'll be ready by the time you get here."_

"Sounds great," he said. "We'll be there in twenty."

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As promised, Brennan was dressed and ready and waiting for Booth and Parker when they pulled up in front of her building.

"Hi, Bones!" Parker said as he opened the passenger door and climbed out, vacating the seat for Brennan.

"Hi, Parker," she replied.

Parker reached out to give her a quick hug before climbing in to the back seat.

"Where are your skates?" Parker asked.

"I don't have any," Brennan answered as she climbed into the front seat and instinctively leaned over to kiss Booth 'hello'.

"Hi," Booth said.

"Hi," she replied, sitting back and buckling her seat belt.

"We'll rent her some, Bub," Booth told his son.

"Cool," Parker replied. "Okay."

"What?" Brennan asked.

"You don't have your own skates," Booth answered, "so we'll have to rent you some."

"I understood that part," Brennan replied. "But I thought we were going to the skate park to watch Parker ride his skateboard."

"No," Parker responded from the back seat. "We are going the skate park, but we're all going blading."

"I thought it would be fun for us to all skate together on the rollerblading trails," Booth supplied.

"Oh," Brennan replied, thinking back at her last attempt at ice skating and worrying about the similarities.

Booth could see the flash of nerves that shone in her eyes.

"Don't worry," he said softly, reaching out to take her hand. "You'll do great. And I'll be right there."

He knew she was remembering when they'd gone ice skating… he was, too. At least this time he wouldn't have to worry about holding her being inappropriate.

"I'm sure it will be fun," she replied, gently squeezing his hand.

Booth decided a change of subject was in order.

"I thought we might try something different for lunch," he said. "There's a new bistro that just opened near the park. They're supposed to have a really great weekend brunch. The menu is standard American, so there should be something there we all like."

"Sounds good to me," Brennan answered as Booth pulled the SUV out into the street.

There was little conversation on the drive to the restaurant. Parker was engrossed in his DS, and the adults were each lost in their own thoughts of what the day might bring.

They arrived at the restaurant and were seated by the window with Booth and Brennan seated next to each other with Parker across from them.

Lunch went by quickly with no awkwardness as Parker regaled the adults with tales from hockey camp.

"Wow, Parks," Booth said in response to a particularly exciting story about scoring a last-minute game winning goal. "That's awesome, buddy. I wish I had seen that."

"It was pretty cool, Dad."

"So, now that hockey camp is over, Parker," Brennan said between bites, "how do you plan to spend the rest of your summer?"

"I'm just gonna hang out with my friends," he told them. "I go over to my friend Tommy's when Mom goes to work. His mom works at home, and she said I could come over so Mom wouldn't have to pay someone to stay with me. I'm too old for a babysitter, anyway."

"That was nice of Mrs. Murphy," Booth said, jumping in before Bones could start in about the RickiTickiTimbo Tribe where kids were on their own by the time they were twelve or something. He knew Parker was experiencing growing pains, but his son was not old enough to stay on his own. Not yet. And that wasn't just because he'd hoped to keep him little for just a little while longer. "But your Mom didn't say anything about it to me," he said. "I could help pay for another camp or something if you need something to do."

"That's cool, Dad," Parker replied around a mouthful of chicken tenders. "But I'm going to science camp at the Jeffersonian next month. Max said I get to go for free 'cause I was the best student in the after school program."

Booth glanced at his partner who had developed a sudden interest in her pasta. She didn't meet his eyes, but she did reach over and softly covered his hand with hers.

"That's great, Parks," he said.

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Brennan arrived at Booth's apartment a little over an hour from when he dropped her off at her place.

After a fun afternoon at the park that resulted in only a few bruises, mostly to her ego, she had insisted that Booth drop her off at home.

Booth had only pouted for a few minutes when she'd turned down his request for her to come home with him and Parker. While she was willing to have dinner with them, even to cook dinner for them, she knew that for practical reasons she needed to have her own car there. If it got late, Booth wouldn't be able to leave Parker to take her home, and she wouldn't want the boy to miss out on his sleep to have to get up go with his father to drive her home.

Juggling her purse and two paper grocery sacks, she reached up to knock on the door.

"What is all this?" Booth asked as he opened the door.

"I wanted to cook for you both," she replied as he took the bags from her. "And I assumed you wouldn't have much to work with."

Booth opened his mouth to protest, but realized she was probably right.

"Still," he said, "you didn't have to do this."

"I know," she answered, walking past him into the kitchen where she found Parker making himself a snack.

"Bones is cooking us dinner," Booth told his son.

"Cool," Parker said, watching as his father unloaded the grocery sacks. "What are we having?"

"Lasagna," Brennan answered.

She laughed softly as she caught Booth looking at her warily.

"I got what is supposed to be some really good Italian sausage," she said. "I thought I'd put that in half."

"You're too good to me, Bones," Booth said, leaning over her shoulder as he stepped up close behind her. He put his hands on her hips and kissed her cheek.

"I'm only giving back a little of what you do for me," she answered, turning around to step into his embrace.

Parker rolled his eyes and took his plate of apples and peanut butter out into the living room.

"Let me know when you two stop being mushy!" he called out as he settled on the couch.

"You're gonna have to wait a long time for that, Little Man," his father replied with a laugh.

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After dinner, they watched a movie and when Parker fell asleep on the floor in front of the television, Booth rousted him and sent him to bed. He followed the boy down the hall and made sure that he was settled, and then came back out to the living area.

He went to the kitchen to grab two beers from the refrigerator before joining Brennan on the couch. He reached over and picked up the remote, turning off the television.

"Hi," she said as he sat down.

"Hi," he replied, leaning in for a quick kiss. "Thanks for dinner."

"You're welcome," she said, "but you already thanked me."

They sat quietly for just a few minutes.

"Thank you for including me today," she said quietly.

"You don't have to thank me for that," he said. "It was totally selfish. I couldn't wait to see you."

"I thought it was Parker's idea," she added with a smile.

"Yeah, well…"

She bit her lip as she caught him blush. Neither of them was oblivious to the fluttery nervousness between them. They had been building up to this relationship for so long, that it was difficult to harness the excitement now that it was actually happening.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Was this our second date?"

"I don't know," he said. "I mean, I'm not really counting…."

If he had his way, they would be spending all of their free time together, and there would be no need to quantify their dates.

"Wait a minute," he said, realizing where she was going. "Are you still stuck on that Third Date Rule thing?"

"Maybe," she said, smiling as she looked up at him through hooded eyes.

She leaned away from him as he laughed out loud.

"Don't laugh at me," she said, pouting.

"I'm not laughing at you, Bones… I'm laughing at the situation." He moved back to sit closer to her. "Just be patient, baby," he said quietly, reaching out to touch her cheek. "It will happen."

"Don't you think we've waited long enough?" she asked in a very _Brennan_ way.

"I do," he said, and he moved in to kiss her. "But we're gonna have to wait just a little longer."

"I'm not a very patient person, Booth."

She returned his kiss and deepened it.

Pulling back to rest his forehead against hers, he looked into her eyes.

"Parker is sleeping in the other room," he reminded her. "When we're ready, I want to be able to really take our time, and do it right. I don't want to have to worry about distractions, or waking up my son, or him knocking on the door…"

"You're right," she replied.

Once again, silence fell as they enjoyed a companionable silence, leaning back on the couch and wrapped in each other's embrace.

"It's getting late," she whispered against his neck.

"Stay."

"You know I can't."

"I know," he replied with a sigh.

"I should be going."

They were wrapped in another silence.

"I need to go," she said.

"Stay."

"Booth."

"Just a little while longer."


	16. Chapter 16

_**AN- Just a quick shout out of thanks to those who continue to read this story and add it to your favorites and alerts. I'm truly overwhelmed by your reception. Thanks cannot begin to cover it. And a special thank you to those who take the extra time to review… I really can't tell you how much your kind words mean to me. I'm not above taking a constructive criticism, either… so please let me know what you think! **_

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Chapter 16

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Sunday afternoon saw the partners being assigned to a new case and having to take Parker home early.

After dropping Parker off at Rebecca's, they drove out to the Alexandria home of a prominent politician. The only information they'd been given was that a body had been found in the Congressman's pool house. They arrived to find that since Congress wasn't in session, the homeowner was back home in California.

The body had been found by the pool maintenance man. It wasn't in as advanced state of decomp as most of the bodies that they are called to but because it had been found on the grounds of a Congressman's home, the locals felt it was best to call in the Federal authorities.

They had spent the next few days working around the clock, Brennan in the lab and Booth dealing with the headache of having to deal with the politician and his "people." Booth disliked the Congressman on sight. He found him to be arrogant and distasteful. He couldn't wait for the squints to give him a time of death. The smug bastard obviously thought he was above the law, and assumed that the fact that he'd been in California when the body was found would eliminate him from the suspect pool.

It didn't take long for Brennan and her team to discover that the victim, a young woman, had been dead for approximately three weeks. The Congressman had been in California for two weeks when he'd been called back by the FBI.

By Thursday, they still weren't close to closing the case but were well on their way. While Booth was busy with the paperwork and the politics, the squints were hard at work on the evidence. They had not only narrowed down the time of death, but they had found a connection between the victim and the Congressman. They had found the cause of death and were working diligently on finding the murder weapon.

"Knock, knock," Booth said, sticking his head into his partner's office.

His heart skipped a beat when she looked up at him with that brilliant smile.

"Booth," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking you out to dinner," he answered smiling.

His smile faltered as she shook her head.

"I can't," she replied. "There's too much work to do. We're so close to finding the murder weapon. Mr. Vaziri is working with Hodgins right now on something that might really break the case for us."

"We've been working non-stop for five days, Bones," he said, walking toward her desk. "I'm not saying that we should shirk on the investigation, but we both need a break. You know that neither of us are any good when we get lost in the case."

She had to admit he was correct.

"And besides," he added, glancing over his shoulder as he leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "I've missed you."

Again, she realized he was absolutely right. Like with so many previous times when they were so heavily involved in a case, they had barely seen each other since Sunday. While in the past that wouldn't have been a major issue, since the change in their relationship it was more than an annoyance for both of them. She couldn't disagree with his logic.

"Okay, Booth," she said, repeating his quick kiss. "Take me to dinner."

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After a leisurely dinner at Wong Fu's, where they spent only the first few minutes catching up on the case, the couple found themselves walking out to Booth's SUV.

"Ready to go home?" Booth asked.

"I really should get back to the lab," Brennan protested, though he could hear the lack of conviction in her tone.

"It's almost ten o'clock. We both need to get some rest. Come on," he insisted. "Home now, and then we'll be rejuvenated and ready to hit the ground running in the morning."

"Will you be coming home with me?" she asked.

He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Do you want me to come home with you?" he asked, opening the door to the passenger's seat.

"That's a silly question, Agent Booth," she answered. Her smile betrayed her clipped, scientific tone. Then her voice dropped as she climbed in to the truck. She sat down in the seat and now looked slightly down at him. "After all, this _was_ our third date."

She laughed a little when she caught his deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"Let's go home, Booth," she said, reaching out to close her door.

He walked around to the other side of the vehicle, thinking to himself that he should have expected this. It wasn't as if he didn't want her. On the contrary, he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anyone or anything. And she was right, of course. They were ready. Waiting for the third date had been kind of silly since they'd both acknowledged that they'd been a couple a lot longer than just the week since their official first date. But even so, he'd hoped to give their first time the full romantic treatment…

"I know what you're thinking," she said when he climbed into the driver's seat and shut the door. "Booth, I don't need rose petals and candlelight. I just need you… us."

Booth let out a soft sigh.

"I know," he said, "and I feel the same way. But at the same time, it's been a hell of a week and we're both exhausted. I wanted to make our first time as special for you as I could. I know that sounds sappy, but it's just how I feel."

"I know," she replied. "And I love that. But listen… you may not remember, but a long time ago you told me that there is a difference between making love and crappy sex. At the time, you were inferring that my seeking out someone with whom to fulfill biological urges was just crappy sex. I understand that now, Booth. All I need to make it special, is you…because with you, I will be making love. You said we could break the laws of physics, and I'm definitely ready to test that hypothesis. Take me home, Booth."

He chuckled to himself. She was right. And she had actually been listening to him all these years. Who knew?

"Okay, Bones," he said. "I get it, and you're right. I want to swing by my place though, and pick up a few things on the way."

"That would be satisfactory," she answered. "And would save us time… or give us more time… in the morning."

He shook his head. He'd always known life with her could never be dull, and now he was looking forward to every unpredictable moment.

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When they arrived back at Brennan's apartment, everything seemed so normal… so domestic.

"Give me your bag and your suit," she said. "I'm going to go change, and I'll put them away. Why don't you open a bottle of wine?"

He nodded as she disappeared down the hall with his duffle and garment bags. He turned back toward the kitchen to follow her suggestion. He found a bottle of her favorite Cabernet and opened it. He set it out on the counter to breathe while he went back to retrieve two glasses. He couldn't help but let his mind wander to his partner in the other room. He wondered just what exactly she would be changing in to.

When they'd first arrived at the apartment, he was surprised at how normal everything felt… at how nervous he wasn't. But now, now the nerves started kicking in. What should he be doing when she came out? Should he wait for her in the kitchen? Should he be sitting on the couch? He began pacing the room, unsure of just what his next step should be.

He went back to the kitchen and poured two glasses of wine and brought them out to the coffee table.

She came down the hall and noticed him pacing her living room. She realized that he was nervous and was glad that she'd made wardrobe choice that she had. She smiled as she leaned against the hall entry and watched him.

After a few minutes, she walked over to him. Before he realized she was there, she reached out and took his hand.

"Sit with me," she said, leading him over to the sofa.

They sat down, side-by-side and fingers entwined.

"This is nice," she said, leaning in to rest her head against his shoulder.

"Yes, it is," he replied, glancing over at her. She'd changed into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, her hair was up in a pony tail. He should have known not to expect to see her come out of the bedroom in some black lacy peignoir.

The more he thought about it, this was the perfect way to ease into their first time. What was more indicative of their relationship than dinner at Wong Fu's and going back to her place in the middle of a tough case?

He let go of her hand to wrap his arms loosely around her. She reached out for a glass of wine and handed one to him. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, sipping on their glasses of wine.

She began to feel the stress of the week melting away as she closed her eyes and let herself relax into Booth's embrace.

He placed a gentle kiss against her temple.

"It's late," he said quietly.

"Mmmm," she mumbled against his neck.

"We should get you some sleep," he said.

"No," she said, not moving. She tightened their embrace and began placing warm, wet kisses against his neck.

Slowly her kisses moved up his neck and over his jaw line until her lips met his. Soon, their kisses became heated and hungry. Before getting too carried away, Brennan decided a change in venue was in order. She stood and reached out for Booth to take her hand.

He stood to follow and she led him to her bedroom.

She walked in to the room, and he stopped just inside the doorway.

He was a grown man with plenty of experience, but why did the thought of finally making love to this woman make him feel like a virgin on prom night?

He'd told her they would break the laws of physics and she'd believed him. That was a tall order and he didn't want to disappoint her. He knew that he was getting too much into his head and he needed to step back and give himself a minute.

He leaned against the door jamb, watching as she slid the band out of her hair and pulled her tank top over her head. When she stepped out of her yoga pants, she turned to face him.

There was the black lace he'd imagined earlier.

Leave it to his Bones to get comfy in her lounging clothes but still have a sexy surprise waiting for him underneath.

"God, Bones," he said almost reverently as he walked toward her. "You're so beautiful."

He kissed her as he pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you," she replied, breathless after the kiss. "But you're over-dressed."

"I think we should do something about that," he answered, leaning in to kiss her again.

"I agree," she answered as she began undressing him for the second time in her life. This time there was no cold detachment of the lab to hinder her and she didn't have to hide her appreciation of the gorgeous body she found under his dress shirt and slacks. She knew that Booth worked hard to maintain his physique, and she'd never been more grateful of that fact than she was at this moment.

When they both stood facing each other, wearing nothing but their underwear, she once again reached out for his hand. This time she led him to her bed. She sat on the edge, and held on to his hand, beckoning him to join her.

"I love you, Booth," she said. Hearing the words out loud was foreign to her, but understanding the feeling was not.

"And I love you," he replied, leaning over her to lay her down before stretching out beside her on the bed.

She loved the feel of the heat emanating from him as he lay beside her and the feel of his weight over her as he covered her body with his. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her, letting all the passion he'd felt for her in the past several years wash over them both.

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The morning sun streamed through the windows bathing the bed and both its occupants in a warm golden glow.

Brennan awoke feeling as if that glow was actually coming from somewhere within herself. She'd never felt so much. She'd never felt so sated, and so comfortable, and so safe and protected or so loved and wanted ever before in her life.

Booth was right.

There was a definite difference between having sex and making love, and now that she had experienced what her partner would undoubtedly call the magic of making love she knew that she could never settle for crappy sex again.

The best part was knowing that she wouldn't have to.

Booth awoke with a smile. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt this good.

"Good morning," he said, his voice gravely and husky with sleep.

"Good morning," she answered, holding him with her head against his chest and her arm around his torso. "How did you sleep?"

"Like I've never slept before," he answered honestly.

"I understand," she replied, looking up to meet his eyes. "There's something about the rest that comes after being completely sated, but I'm not sure I could quantify it."

"Don't try," he said, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. "Just enjoy it."

"Last night was incredible," she told him. "Unlike anything I've ever experienced, and yet so much more than I imagined. Thank you."

"Don't thank me," he said. "Don't ever thank me for loving you. It's the easiest thing I'll ever do."

She smiled, knowing that he really believed that.

People constantly fawned over her. Fans flocked to her signings, other eminent scientists vied to have her corroborate their findings, museums, hospitals and charities were constantly seeking her funding, she'd even had a run-in or two with the paparazzi… but only Seeley Joseph Booth could make her feel special.

And it was the most amazing feeling.

"We have to get to work," he said reluctantly.

"I know," she answered and he could swear he heard her pouting.

"You want to shower first?" he asked. "Or should I?"

"Why don't we shower together?" she suggested. "I conserves water and could save us some time."

"Good idea, Bones," he said, laughing. "What the hell, we can be a little late."

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_**AN2- I hope this didn't disappoint. I know some of you were hoping for an "M" rated third date, but I just don't do "M" stories. Some people do it really well, but "insert tab A into slot B" just isn't my cup of tea, LOL. Anyway, I hope I did this milestone justice and didn't disappoint you too much. Let me know how I did! **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**AN- Sorry it's been so long… and thanks for hanging in there with me. There's a little more left in this one, but we're getting there. :-) I will warn you, this one may need a cavity alert, LOL. And as always, let me know what you think!**_

**~~~~~BnB~~~~~**

Chapter 17

Booth and Brennan walked into the busy lab hand-in-hand. Reluctantly, she released his hand at the bottom of the platform and they shared a glance that no one seemed to notice.

"What have you got for me, squints?" Booth asked, drawing attention to their arrival.

Arastoo began to tell them about the conclusions that he and Hodgins had come to, and in Booth's mind the Congressman was looking more and more like he was their man.

Booth turned his attention to Hodgins.

"Get me something to nail that slimy bastard, will you?" he asked, not bothering to hide his disdain.

Brennan looked at him, silently telling him that they would follow the trail the facts laid out but her people would not be supplying his "gut" fodder for a personal manhunt.

"I'm on it," Hodgins replied, ignoring the look that passed between the partners as he turned back to his station.

Angela sat back, watching the entire exchange with bemusement. She'd seen her best friend enter the lab holding hands with her hunk of FB-Eye Candy, but she'd chosen not to comment. She knew she'd get more information from Brennan if she caught the anthropologist off-guard when they were alone. If she mentioned it now, then Brennan would have time to formulate an excuse.

Yep, Angela Montenegro-Hodgins could definitely bide her time. This was too juicy of a tidbit to allow it to get lost in the hubbub of a murder investigation, anyway. There was definitely more that met the eye when it came to Booth and Brennan these days, and she was sure that hand-holding was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Okay, well," Booth said, stammering a bit under Bones' unspoken reprimand. "I gotta get to the office. Call me as soon as you have anything."

"You got it, G-Man," Hodgins replied.

"We'll call you if we find anything affirmed by the evidence," Brennan replied. "Let us know if your gut turns anything up," she added with a grin.

"Funny, Bones," Booth replied.

"I told you…"

Booth held up his hand to interrupt her.

"I know," he said. "You're becoming very amusing." He winked at her as he went on. "I'll see what Charlie turned up in the Congressman's financials as well as the paper trail that led from our vic. I'll call you later."

"Okay," Brennan replied and then turned to follow him down the platform. She hadn't been to her office yet and wanted to drop off her things and change into her lab coat. "I'll be here."

Angela watched as yet another meaningful glance was exchanged. Those two could say more with their eyes than most people did in whole conversations. She watched as the partners said goodbye, caressing without touching. It was fascinating, but then again she'd always been fascinated by them. She got up from her stool and followed Brennan to her office.

Brennan was slipping in to her lab coat when she heard the snick of the lock behind her. She turned around to see her best friend leaning against the door with raised eyebrows and a wide grin on her face.

"The time has come," Angela said. "Spill, sweetie."

"Angela, I don't know what you're talking about," Brennan said, as she sat down and booted up her computer.

"You and Booth," Angela said. "And don't try to give me that 'just partners' load of crap, either."

Brennan let out a long sigh, and then waged an internal debate. Part of her really wanted to talk to Angela about the developments in her relationship with Booth, but the other more rational part of her knew that they really needed to work on the case.

"We have a case, Ang," she said. "We really should be working."

"You've already examined the body," Angela protested, noting to herself that Brennan didn't deny she was with Booth. "We already have an identity and Jack and Arastoo are busy trying to prove the creepy Congressman did it. You and I have a few minutes to engage in a little girl talk. Something tells me you've earned it."

"I don't know what that means."

"Oh come on, Brennan," Angela said, sitting down in the chair opposite her friend's desk. "I saw you and Studly walk in here holding hands. And you're back to having those long drawn out conversations with your eyes. It's obvious that you and Booth have crossed that 'just partners' line. When? I wanna hear all about it. How long have you been together? I _knew_ something was up… but whatever you were waiting for happened, right? So, now it's my turn. You promised me the dirty details…"

"Yes," Brennan said, "You're right. Something has happened… Booth and I are… together…"

"Since when?"

"I suppose that depends upon how you look at it," Brennan offered.

"Well, let's look at it literally since figuratively you've been together forever already."

"You could say we've been together," Brennan said, pausing either to be certain how much she wanted to tell her friend or to find the right words, Angela couldn't be sure of which. "…or working toward being together since we went to Florida..."

"…but that was almost five months ago," Angela interrupted with a protest. "Right after Hannah left.."

This time it was Brennan's turn to meet her friend's gaze with raised eyebrows.

"We realized on that trip that there would always be something between us, I think..."

"Look at you, talking about always and forever," Angela quipped with a grin as she caught her friend blush.

Choosing to ignore Angela's comment, Brennan went on.

"But Booth needed time to get over Hannah, and we needed time to rebuild our friendship…"

"That's why you didn't want to talk to me about it when I asked before, right?"

"Right," Brennan confirmed. "We had our first official date about two weeks ago."

"And you finally had sex?" Angela asked, a wide smile spreading over her face.

"Last night," Brennan admitted.

"Ohmigod," Angela said, throwing her hand up to cover her mouth.

Brennan smiled, amused by Angela's rather toned down reaction.

"Oh, Bren. I'm so happy for you… really. For both of you. This has been a long time in coming. Was it worth the wait?"

Brennan nodded.

"Yes," she answered succinctly.

"That's it?" Angela asked. "That's all I get? Come on, Brennan. After seven years of waiting? You've gotta give me more than that."

"It was wonderful," Brennan told her. "There wasn't any big romantic overture. We just worked here late and then went to Wong Fu's for dinner, and I asked him to come home with me. We stopped by his place on the way back to mine so he could pick up the things he'd need this morning. We had a glass of wine and sat together on the sofa for a little while… and then we went to bed."

"And had mind-blowing sex!" Angela added. "You make it sound like it's something you do every day."

"Honestly, Angela? That's what it felt like… so natural, like we'd been doing it forever or that we were meant to be doing it forever…"

"There's that word again…"

"I know that I never believed in monogamy and soul mates and that whole idea that there is someone for everyone… but I'm beginning to think that I was wrong about that. My parents had an amazing relationship, and my dad still talks about her and how much he misses her. Look at everything you and Hodgins went through, but you still found your way together. And Booth and I… well, it seems like no matter what we did, no matter where we went or with whom, all roads lead to where we are right now. I still don't believe in fate, but I can't imagine myself with anyone but Booth."

"Wow." Angela was in awe of the transformation Brennan had gone through, apparently right before her eyes, and she hadn't seen it coming. "I never thought I'd see the day when Temperance Brennan went all wide-eyed romantic. It suits you, sweetie."

After a moment of awkward silence, Angela spoke again.

"So come on, tell me about the sex! Is he as good as I imagined?"

"Better," Brennan answered with a very self-satisfied grin.

"Very nice," Angela replied with a laugh. "Give me all the details."

Brennan bit her bottom lip and then looked across the desk to her friend.

"Sorry, Ang," she said. "While I now have firsthand knowledge that Booth is definitely not a prude, I have also come to understand his belief that some things should remain private."

"Aw, our little girl is growing up."

"I will tell you though, that it was incredible, Angela. I felt things that I've never felt before. Booth says that's the difference between making love and crappy sex."

Angela laughed out loud.

"I believe he's right about that," Brennan went on.

"I know I already said it, but I'm so happy for you, Brennan," Angela said, wiping a tear from her eye. "So, are you keeping this a secret or what?"

"No," Brennan answered, shaking her head.

"But you didn't say anything."

"We decided that you all have felt that we should be together for a long time now, and that it was only a matter of time. And since you were right, we decided to just let the flow go."

Angela looked at her quizzically.

"Oh!" she said. "You mean, go with the flow."

"Right," Brennan said. "There was no need to make an announcement, but we aren't hiding anything either. You did notice that we were holding hands when we walked in this morning, remember? Did it look as if we were trying to hide anything?"

"No," Angela admitted. "I guess it didn't. Wow."

Brennan turned her attention back to her computer, deciding that she should probably get some work done even though she knew that Angela would have more questions. It only took a few minutes before she was proven correct.

"Wait," she said. "What about the FBI? Are they going to split you up? Make Booth get a new partner?"

"No," Brennan answered.

"You're not worried about this at all?"

"No," Brennan answered again, with a shake of her head. "Technically, Booth doesn't have a partner. He is the FBI's liaison to the Jeffersonian. The FBI contracts with the _Jeffersonian_ for expert consultations. There is no official direct correlation between my employment with the museum or Booth's with the Bureau. In the eyes of the FBI, I am not Booth's partner. He got special permission from AD Cullen to take me with him into the field, but because I am not employed by the FBI, nor am I technically an FBI consultant I cannot be officially considered to be Booth's partner."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Of course," Brennan answered. "It means that the FBI has no authority over our personal relationship. But that being said, we're not going to count on continued good fortune. We will have to continue to carry as professional an air now as we always have in the past when it comes to work related situations."

"So that's why there was no kiss goodbye?"

"Right," Brennan answered. "While our record is exemplary and therefore should speak for itself, we don't want to give either the Bureau or the Jeffersonian any reason to believe that our personal relationship will be in any way detrimental to our work."

"You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"It was all I could think about for a very long time, Angela. When Booth first told me that he was interested in a romantic relationship, all I could think about were the ways in which I would screw it up. In every one of those scenarios, the end of our personal relationship led to the end of our professional one as well. I couldn't allow for that possibility. I knew that I needed Booth in my life and I was willing to sacrifice the potential happiness of a personal relationship to ensure that nothing would happen to our professional relationship."

"But things don't always go according to plan, huh?"

"No, they don't," Brennan agreed. "I let Booth go, and our professional relationship suffered anyway."

"And now here we are," Angela said.

"Here we are," Brennan repeated, smiling.

Angela shook her head.

"Sweetie, I'm so proud of you. I'm amazed at how much you have grown since I met you. I've always known you had a huge heart. You're one of the most compassionate people I know, but you don't let many people see that. I think you were even hiding that part of you from yourself for a long time. It's a beautiful thing to see you open up and accept that side of yourself… and it's so great to see you happy."

"I am, Ang," Brennan replied. "I really am."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The Medico-Legal Lab team stood huddled around a high-top table in the far corner of the bar at Founding Fathers.

"Thank God this case is over," Angela said.

"Amen to that," her husband agreed. "I really hate those entitled, self-aggrandizing blowhard politicians. I'm glad we helped Booth throw the book at the slimy son-of-a-bitch."

"Where is Booth, anyway?" Cam asked.

"He's at the Hoover," Brennan supplied. "Finishing the processing of the Congressman's arrest."

"I'm surprised you're not there with him," Sweets said.

Angela raised an eyebrow waiting for her friend's response.

"I had some things I had to do at that lab," Brennan answered. "And it made sense for me to go back and do that. I've already finished my part of the paperwork in the Congressman's case. He's meeting us here." She glanced down at her phone on the table, checking the time. "He should be here any minute."

As if on cue, the agent in question came walking through the door.

"The next round's on me!" he called as he walked up to the table. He leaned in and kissed Brennan's cheek as if it were the most commonplace occurrence.

Cam looked at Angela, who simply smiled and raised her eyebrows.

Jack and Arastoo exchanged a glance, and Sweets very nearly choked on his Long Island Iced Tea.

Booth looked up from Brennan to see four stunned faces and a grinning Angela.

"What?" he asked. "I thought you guys would be more excited. This is a big one in the 'W' column. A celebration is definitely in order. He sat down in the empty chair next to his partner as she handed him his drink and he took her hand.

"Oh, we're happy all right, Big Man," Cam finally spoke up. "Just a little surprised is all."

"Surprised?" Booth asked, truly not following.

Loving the idea of picking up on this kind of thing before Booth, Brennan leaned over and said to him in a loud whisper, "You kissed me when you came in… and now you're holding my hand."

"So," Booth said. "I do that all the time."

"Yes," Brennan agreed, "but not in front of them."

Booth looked at Brennan with wide eyes. When had he gotten so comfortable with their affection that he didn't even think twice about displaying it… even in front of the squints?

"Well," Brennan offered, "we did agree that we weren't keeping it a secret."

"So much for not making an announcement," Booth replied with a self-effacing chuckle.

They began discussing the case as everyone fell into their comfortable camaraderie. Everyone, that is … except Sweets.

"Wait," he sputtered, staring incredulously at the partners. "You're _together_, as in… _a couple_… and you didn't feel the need to mention this?"

"It was a natural progression," Brennan answered.

"And we didn't want to make a big deal of it," Booth added.

"Not make a big deal of it?" Sweets looked as if he were about to burst a blood vessel. "Are you kidding me? This is a big deal… this is a _very_ big deal."

"Don't look so shocked, Sweets," Angela said. "It's not like we didn't all see it coming."

"You knew," Sweets said, turning his suspicious eye to Angela.

Suddenly four sets of eyes were on the artist, waiting for her to explain herself.

Brennan leaned back into Booth's embrace and the couple smiled as they watched the scene play out before them. Both were grateful to Angela for taking them out of the hot seat.

"Only for a few days," Angela answered meekly. "Hey," she went on, more assertively. "She's my best friend. I'm entitled to a little advance information."

"I can't believe you didn't say anything," Cam replied.

"Dude," Jack said, his blue eyes sparkling behind a sardonic grin. "She didn't even tell me."

"They wanted everyone to figure it out on their own," Angela said. "I think that's really romantic."

Arastoo sat back not finding it his place to comment, but he was just as shocked as everyone else.

Sweets, on the other hand, was still flabbergasted. He was still grousing under his breath and the team had turned their attention to him.

"I can't believe they didn't tell me," he lamented. "I can't believe I didn't see it. Why _didn't_ you tell me?" he asked, turning to face the couple. "Hey," he said to the others assembled. "Where did they go?"

BnBnBnBnBnB

"You think they'll be very angry that we skipped out on them?" Brennan asked, holding Booth's hand as they made a run for his SUV.

"Nah," he answered, leaning in to kiss her as they reached the vehicle. "Sweets maybe," he said. "But he'll get over it." He winked at her. "Kids are resilient."

He opened the door for her and waited while she climbed in. When she was settled, he closed the door, walked around to the driver's side and climbed in.

She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Just because we're in a romantic relationship," she said. "Do you think that means I'm going to let you get away with all that alpha-male posturing that you call chivalry?"

"Yes," he answered simply, smiling at her.

Again, she rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn't help the warm smile that spread across her face. For all of her own commentary on the subject, she secretly loved the way that Booth's actions constantly made her feel loved and protected. Of course, she'd never let him know that.

"You know," he said. "We really owe Angela one. She kinda took one for the team back there to get Sweets off our case."

"I know," she said. "I think I'll get her a day at her favorite spa."

"She'd like that," he replied. "Maybe we could babysit."

"That would be nice," she told him, still smiling.

She couldn't remember ever being this happy. And she loved the idea of spending the day alone with Booth and Cate… or maybe they could bring Parker along, as well. She turned to face out the window as she got lost in her thoughts.

BnBnBnBnBnB

"Seriously?" Sweets went on. "They actually ditched us?"

Hodgins laughed out loud.

"Nicely done, Big Man," Cam muttered to herself.

"Sweets, you really need to rein it in a little," Angela said. "You're taking this awfully personally. Can't you just be happy for them?"

"Oh, believe me," Sweets said. "I _am_ happy for them. I just can't believe I didn't see it coming. I really wish they would have felt they could confide in me. I am their therapist after all."

Angela moved around to stand next to Sweets. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and leaned in.

"Maybe it's time to just be their friend," she offered.

Sweets nodded, knowing Angela was right.

"And seriously?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You really didn't see it coming? What kind of genius, Boy-wonder psychologist are you?"

"It was pretty obvious," Arastoo said, finally piping in.

"Well, _yeah_," Sweet said. "We all knew it was going to happen _eventually_… but can any of you really tell me that you saw it coming right now? That tonight wasn't a complete surprise to you?"

"They actually did come into the lab holding hands several times this week," Arastoo replied.

"Really?" Sweets asked.

Arastoo nodded.

"It's true," Angela told him. "That's how I busted them."

"Busted them?" Cam asked. "I thought they weren't keeping it a secret."

"Well, they weren't," Angela agreed. "And you're right. That's pretty much what Bren told me when I asked. She said, 'Did we look like we were trying to hide anything?' And that's when I realized she was right, they didn't. It seemed as natural as could be and I couldn't be happier for them."

"Wait," Hodgins said. "What about the the FBI? Does this mean they're going to split them up?"

"No," Angela, Cam and Sweets all said in unison.

"As far as the FBI goes," Sweets offered, "they're not officially partners, so they're not going to split them up."

Angela already knew this from her conversation with Brennan, but one thing was still bothering her.

"Then why the partners' therapy?" she asked.

"Honestly?" Sweets asked. "I think that Deputy Director Cullen was just covering all the bases. Like all of us, he's watched their relationship progress and he knew it was only a matter of time. He enlisted my help to make sure that any potential romantic relationship wouldn't affect their work. They're the best there is," he went on. "And Cullen didn't want the risk of losing that."

"Exactly," Cam said. "Director Cullen and I discussed the repercussions of either assigning another agent to the lab or having Booth work with another scientist. Believe me, neither scenario generated a positive outcome."

"So the FBI really can't split them up?" Hodgins asked. "What about the 'No Fraternization' rule?"

Cam bit her lip and glanced at Sweets, who nodded for her to go on with the explanation.

"Well," she said. "This is where we're all hanging our hats on a technicality. The verbiage in the contract reads that the Jeffersonian, specifically the Medico-Legal Lab, is under contract to the FBI to provide expert consultations. Nowhere does it specify which scientist is to provide said consultations, therefore _technically_…"

"…Brennan isn't an FBI consultant and is thereby exempt from the rule," Hodgins concluded. "Nicely done. Way to stick it to The Man."

BnBnBnBnBnB

"I still feel a little bit badly for running out on them," Brennan said, her head laying on Booth's chest and her arm wrapped around his waist.

"Seriously?" he asked. "We're laying in bed… naked, I might add… and you're thinking about the squints? I must be doing something wrong."

"No," she answered, tightening their embrace. "You do everything right. It's just not very nice to sneak out on your friends like that."

"Consider it growth for your frontal lobe," he said, laughing softly as he leaned in to place a kiss against her hair.

She smiled, remembering their long ago conversation and the night that they'd 'dined and dashed.'

"I just don't want them to be angry with us," she said. "Sweets was quite upset."

"He'll get over it," Booth assured her. "He was just surprised. We wondered how they would all react. Now we know, I guess."

"I guess we do," she replied as she moved up to kiss him.

"And we have to think about telling everyone else," he said.

"Like who?" she asked.

"Pops," he answered. "Your father… Russ… Jared…"

"My father will be happy for us," she said. "Of course, he will threaten to kill you if you hurt me."

Booth shuddered at the thought. He knew he'd never intentionally hurt her, but he also knew what Max was capable of.

"You know, when I first met Max he asked me if we were sleeping together."

"He did?" she asked. "I didn't know that."

Booth nodded.

"And when I told him 'no,' he asked me if I was gay."

Brennan laughed out loud at that.

He loved the sound of her laugh. He would give anything to always hear her laugh like that.

"I love you," he said, almost reverently.

"I know," she answered. "And I love you, too."

They lay there in the quiet still of the late evening, moonlight shining in through the windows, and enjoyed the calm silence that fell between them.

After what felt like hours but was really only a few minutes, she broke the silence.

"Regrets?" she asked, looking up into his warm brown eyes.

He shook his head.

"None," he answered, surprising her. "I mean, yes I would have liked to spare us both some of the pain that we went through to get here… but I have to go back to that very first day. I asked you if you believed in fate…"

"…and I told you I didn't," she said, interrupting. "And I still don't."

"And I still do," he replied, leaning in for a long, slow kiss that represented everything he was feeling. When it was over he looked into her amazing blue eyes. "Everything that we went through to get here was worth it because it brought us right here to this moment. Sure," he said. "We could have gotten together before now, but we wouldn't have been ready because it wasn't the right time. This," he said. "This, baby, is our time… and I can't wait to see what happens next."

"Well," she said, with a lilt in her voice and a twinkle in her eye. "I don't know what fate has in store for us, but I do know what comes next."

"Yeah?" he asked, punctuating the question with a quick kiss to her lips.

"Yeah," she answered. "Right now, we're going to forget about the team, our family, our work… all of it. Right now… in this moment, there is only you and me… and you're going to show me how to break the laws of physics. That's what happens next."

This time it was Booth's turn to laugh out loud. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd been this happy. He wasn't sure if he'd ever been this happy, but he knew that they had started down that 'Forever' road, and there was no looking back.

"That, Bones," he said, "sounds like a plan."

BnBnBnBnBnB

The End

BnBnBnBnBnB

_**AN- These endings keep sneaking up on me… but I do think that this is the right place to say goodbye to this story. The original intent was to follow them from that closing scene in "The Daredevil in the Mold" and let Booth's breakup with Hannah progress into his real relationship with Brennan, and I think we've done that. I can only hope I've done it justice. I look forward to your thoughts. ~ LJ:-)**_


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